The Long Road Home
by Oceanera12
Summary: Separated by tragedy at the age of six, the Hedgehog triplets have spent their lives fighting; for love, for family, for survival. They've kept secrets and told lies to run from their inner demons. But even after a lifetime of guilt and loss, none of them ever thought they'd be forced to fight their own. (Rated T for action and intensity)
1. Zoning Out

**Well… I'm going to scream with joy! Who is excited about this as much as I am?**

 **For those of you who haven't read 'Miles from Home', I highly recommend you read it first, but it is not completely necessary. It may help you not be too confused though. Also, the last chapter for 'Miles from Home' is a little backstory on this. So I highly recommend that you read that at least.**

 **Everyone else, I am so excited for this! What? I've been looking forward to it since I started thinking about it in the middle of 'Miles from Home.' And now that 'Shattered Thorns' is finished, then let's jump into this! Let me warn you right now: It's...kind of...sort of...longish. And updates will be a little random and once school starts I have no idea when I'll be able to update. Crazy schedule. But let's try and make a good dent in it this summer, shall we?**

 **This story is by written by myself, Oceanera12 (but you can call me Era) and my co-writer/editor HaloEssence111 (or Halo). Hope y'all enjoy.**

 **Now let's get this party started! Speaking of parties… Happy 25th Birthday, Sonic the Hedgehog!**

Sonic's POV:

The sun was shining, with blue birds singing in the trees and a gentle breeze flowing through the air. Most people would be out playing games with friends and family in this type of weather. And most people would consider this perfect weather for your birthday...but I'm not most people.

I felt as if the whole world was mocking me. It wasn't that I didn't like my birthday… I mean, I'm sixteen now. I can learn to drive! Then again, maybe not. When you can run at the speed of sound, why learn to drive? But still, sixteen was one of those 'milestone' birthdays everyone is always talking about. Honestly, I never understood why people were excited about sixteen.

Sixteen was when you were officially old enough to hang out with the adults and not feel like a kid, but you still weren't old enough to vote or legally live by yourself or stop going to school. Definitely one of those...in between ages.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason I wasn't feeling the birthday excitement. Two days ago it had been ten years. Ten years since Robotnik had entered and destroyed my life. Ten years since the first home I had ever known had been destroyed. Ten years since I lost everyone who mattered.

It didn't help that I was a triplet, either. I actually wished I had to share my birthday with someone every year, as it was a lot better than annually mourning my dead siblings. It had always been the three of us; Maurice, Sonia, Manic. We got in trouble together, succeeded together, but we didn't escape the horror of that night together. Only I did.

Sonia was always such a…well, she was a girl. I mean, she was my sister. The only girl in a set of triplets. Despite that unfortunate event (to her, at least), she always seemed to stay happy and tried to play with the boys (and she was good at it too- I believe she was the one who came up with the game, 'Evil Alien Creatures with Flamey Swords out to destroy Mobius'). She was the comforting one who always knew what to say to make me and Manic feel better.

Manic always had a knack for finding trouble. He never meant to, but it was like he was born with a magnet for all things risky. It was ridiculous how many times I had to swoop in and save him in some way. He gave our mother the most heart attacks and gray hairs. But despite that, he always knew how to make people laugh. He always knew what to do during a bad situation...such as run for his life or start apologizing profusely.

Sonia and Manic… That was how I came up with my name, you know. Sonic is just the two combined. Of course, most people thought I was always talking about my speed. They never knew that it was actually in honor of my siblings, and I think I'd like to keep it that way.

"Sonic!"

My head snapped up and I squinted across the open field at the yellow fox that had just emerged.

"Sonic! There you are!" Tails flew over and landed in front of me. "What have you been doing all morning?"

"Running," I replied while standing up, "What else?"

"Sonic, do you ever do anything but running?"

"As a matter of fact-"

"Eating chili dogs doesn't count."

I smiled. "You know me too well."

With a small sigh, Tails replied, "Well, you are my brother. I'd hope I know everything about you."

Inside, I flinched. Outside, I smirked, trying to look smug and confident. "Alright. What's up?"

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see." Tails motioned for me to follow him as he started twisting his tails to propel himself in the air. Very reluctantly, I ran after him. I could guess where this was going. It's my birthday… Tails really cares about me… And he's not saying where we're going. I mean you might as well just make a neon flashing sign that says, 'Surprise Party this way!'

I hate surprise parties… Actually, I just hate birthday parties in general. Nothing good ever comes from holding a party about stepping one year closer to the inevitability of death (okay, that was unnecessarily dark. Pretend I didn't say that). First we had the whole...you know what. I'm not going to think about him. Let's just say it involved a very annoying rival that doesn't belong in this dimension. Then we had that really dumb Time Eater Monster thing that kidnapped all my friends and almost turned the whole time line into 'limbo.' And of course I ran into mini-me and mini-Tails.

It's a very long story that I really don't feel like going into right now.

Tails led me back to our house. It was a pretty cool place, with more than enough room for both me and Tails along with any friends that needed to crash at a moment's notice (we had three extra bedrooms plus like four or five couch beds. Including me and Tails, our house could hold about eleven people). We'd lived here since GUN hired us four years ago, and I never want to move.

The fox opened the door and ran inside. All of the lights were off. Mm...I wonder why? But, just like every year, I played along. "Why are the lights off? Tails, did you blow another fuse again? GUN hates it when we do that!"

Tails didn't respond, but I heard a small scuffling noise from the corner.

Three, two, one…

The lights came popping on revealing everyone who had been hiding. "SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONIC!"

I grinned. "You guys really shouldn't have. I mean, really. You shouldn't have."

Of course they thought I was joking around, just like every year. Tails had invited everyone again. Vector and Espio were holding Charmy back from the cake, while wishing me a happy birthday. Charmy just ignored everyone and continued flying towards the cake that Cream must have made. Speaking of the rabbit, she was standing next to Amy with her little chao bobbing behind her. Cream was holding up a brightly wrapped present tied with a poufy bow. Over in the corner was a small stack of bags and boxes similarly wrapped. Standing next to the pile, was Rouge and Knuckles having another one of their arguments. Shadow stood in the back of the room, crossing his arms and glaring at the world. Something told me that Rouge had dragged him along...again. Vanilla was holding the already mentioned cake that appeared to be chocolate. And then there was Tails, hovering in the middle of the room, grinning like a maniac.

"Come here, you!" I grabbed Tails out of the air and swept him up into a tight bear hug.

"Hey, stop it, Sonic!" he shouted when I began to noogie him.

Amy stepped forward with a smile, "Happy Birthday, Sonic!" She handed me a rectangular green package.

"Thanks, Amy." I put down Tails and tore open the present. Inside the box was a new pair of red shoes with gold buckles, identical to the ones I was wearing, except for the gold trim on the bottoms.

"They're anti-gravity shoes!" Amy exclaimed. "You're always trying to run up walls and stuff, but this way you can run on ceilings! Aren't they cool?"

"Yeah, they're great! Thanks, Ames!" I grinned, for real this time. I mean, anti-gravity shoes, come on.

The gift-giving continued until Charmy finally reached the cake. Then it became an all out war for a bite of the chocolatey goodness. Well, sort of. Shadow didn't even move, and I just waited until a small chunk landed on my lap while I continued to open the remaining presents. Cream had given me a flower crown...again. I do love her flower crowns. I had a whole box of them under my bed. Rouge gave me girl advice in a notebook (thanks…). Shadow had either a strange sense of humor or thought that I would enjoy a How-to book on making bricks. It made me wonder which clearance bin he picked it up. Oh well, another thing to add to my junk box. Vanilla gave me a homemade sweater while Vector, Espio, and Charmy must have pitched in to buy me a spatula. For some reason I could never understand, Knuckles always gave the best presents. Why and how, I have no idea, but you don't see me complaining.

I tore open Knuckles' gift last. This year it was unusually small, able to fit in an envelope. Maybe he got me cash. I pulled out a one page letter. In the top right corner was an emblem of a steaming chili dog.

"'Dear Mr. Hedgehog, starting next month, you are an official member of the Chili Dog of the Month Club! You will be presented each month with a different variety of chili dog from around the globe.' Wow! Thanks, Knux!"

"Don't mention it," said Knuckles, giving me a light punch in the arm.

See? I told you he gives the best gifts.

The rest of the party was pretty fun, if mostly uneventful. We played a couple of games and watched a movie. Most of the group cleared out around nine thirty, leaving just me and Tails and Knuckles (he didn't have a house in town, so he uses a spare guest room at our house whenever he leaves Angel Island).

"Welp, I'm turning in," said Knuckles, yawning. "G'night Tails, Sonic. Happy birthday."

"Thanks, man." I said. "See ya tomorrow."

"Yup. G'night." Knuckles walked upstairs. I heard the guest room door click shut. Come to think of it, I was getting pretty tired myself.

"I think I'll go to bed, too." I said.

"Wait! Sonic, I almost forgot!" exclaimed Tails. He dashed upstairs and came back down with a flat, rectangular package wrapped in plain brown paper.

"I was saving this until everybody went home," said Tails, handing me the parcel. I tore off the paper, revealing a small, framed photograph of me and Tails- except the two of us were much younger in this picture.

"That's the first photo we took together after we became brothers," said Tails. "I found it in one of our old photo albums we keep in the attic."

I didn't say anything.

"I-it's okay if you don't like it," said Tails nervously, fiddling with his fingers anxiously. "I mean-"

I scooped Tails into a firm embrace. He flinched in surprise at first, but quickly returned the gesture.

"Thanks, buddy." I whispered into his ear.

"Anytime, bro." He smiled and began to climb up the stairs.

My bedroom was on the first floor, so I quietly called after him, "Night, Miles."

"Goodnight," Tails looked over his shoulder, "Happy Birthday, Maurice." Then he vanished up the stairs. Good thing too, then he didn't see me flinch at the name.

I quietly shut the door to my room and put the picture on my bedside table. Staring at the photo for a minute, I sighed. Any picture of my old family had been burned and destroyed and after all of these years, their faces were getting harder and harder to remember.

 _Happy Birthday to me,_ I thought, curling under the covers. I turned over, staring out the window into the clear, starry June night.

 _Happy Birthday to you too, sibs._

* * *

 ***one week earlier***

Sofia's POV:

 _ **BRRRRINNNGG…**_

 _SLAM._

I pounded my fist on my alarm clock to quiet the blasted thing. Groggily, I sat up and folded the quilt down to the side of the bed. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I shuffled into the worn-out kitchen. Uncle Charlie was sitting at the splintery wood kitchen table reading the daily paper. I mumbled a nearly inaudible greeting to him as I searched the fridge for something appetizing. Finding nothing, I settled for a glass of orange juice and a piece of flaky toast.

"Morning, sunshine." said Uncle Charlie from behind his newspaper. I grunted in reply, munching on my toast. Seeing the time, I quickly finished my breakfast, then took a lightning-fast shower. I dried off hurriedly and pulled on a random dress from the front of my closet. I blow-dried my quills and set a bedazzled headband on top to keep the hair out of my eyes. Scooping up my backpack, I marched out the front door, slamming it behind me as usual.

Uncle Charlie probably didn't even flinch.

I started to walk to school as I did every morning, but today was different. It was my last day of school. True, I was only fifteen years old (going on sixteen), but since I had taken extra classes and did summer school, I was graduating two years early. Trust me, taking more classes was a lot more fun than sitting at the junk yard all summer praying for people to buy something. With the thought of no more school, ever, my mind actually lightened up a little and an involuntary smile twitched to life on my face. No more heartless teachers… no more jerks in class whispering crude jokes about me behind my back...and best of all, no more of that horrible Bobby Deaken shamelessly flirting with me every chance he got.

Over the past four years, the kids who had spent every waking moment terrorizing me who had slowly drifted away from trying to beat me up and moved on to kids who they could actually hit. I hadn't minded the change, to say the least. Still, no one talked to me or ate lunch with me. But I didn't mind too much. No bullying (well, extreme bullying anyway) helped me focus and finish my work quickly.

The school bell jolted me out of my thoughts and I ran the last few steps up into the high school. _Please don't be late, please don't be late, please don't be late, please don't be late…_

I was late.

The classes were some of the fastest I've ever sat through. Mostly it was just teachers telling us seniors that they would miss us so much and how lucky we were to have gained the priceless gift of education and all of that jazz. In fact, I'm pretty sure more than half the students didn't show up (then again, graduation was last night. Wasn't much of a point to come.)

And if you're wondering why I went to school, then here's your answer.

"Ah, Sofia! My favorite student," Mr. Phillips gave me a big smile as I walked into the empty sixth period class.

I rolled my eyes, "Am I the only one who showed up today?"

"Well, most people don't like my class so it's not much of a surprise."

"Who doesn't like Mobian History?"

"Most seniors."

We laughed and continued to laugh. That was the one thing I was going to miss. Mr. Phillips was the only teacher who seemed to like my polite yet rebellious nature. He was also the only teacher who didn't think I was a freak…then again, my excuse to the school is that I get really bad headaches and sometimes faint or zone out. He accepted the fact without questioning it. The other teachers just got annoyed to the point of hating my guts.

When the final bell rang, I gave him a hug and handshake. "Thanks for everything, Mr. Phillips. I hope you have a wonderful summer and life."

He nodded sadly, "I will miss your face in my 'dull' class, Sofia. I sure do hope you turn out successful. You sure do have the potential for it."

Without answering, I swung my backpack over my shoulder and left the room with a wave. I walked down the hall to my locker and kicked it open.

"Hey there, beautiful."

I groaned, pulled out my remaining school supplies, and slammed the door shut. Then I turned and started to speed walk down the hall.

Bobby, the annoying little pain-in-the-neck, followed me while calling for me to wait up. I didn't listen, but picked up the pace. When I finally got out of the building, I practically sprinted down the street.

"Oh! I get it! In a hurry to get home! Okay, I'll swing by later, pumpkin."

I yelled back over my shoulder, "Don't you even think about it! And don't call me 'pumpkin'!"

Most boys were freaked out by me… Bobby was just a creepy stalker who was interested in my looks and 'talents' or so he says. Liar. Did he think I had just forgotten all those years of him picking on me with his pack of goons? Apparently so.

Well, the run home was uneventful. Uncle Charlie was out in the yard, sorting through some old car parts. "Hey there, Sofia. How was your last day of school?"

I shrugged and threw my backpack in the front door then joined my Uncle at the pile. "It was okay, I guess. Nothing too crazy…"

"Mmm-hmm, that's nice." Uncle Charlie, who was fiddling around with a rusty old car engine, didn't seem to pay any attention.

Well...now was as good a time as any. "Um… Uncle Charlie?"

"Mmm-hmm?"

I handed him a gas cap that was lying with the fans, "I just graduated High School and...well, I don't think I want to go to college all that much."

"Mmm-hmm…"

"I was thinking of traveling to some city," I paused and narrowed my eyes at him for a moment, "And looking to see if anyone would be willing to take me in at a department store or some sort of fashion barn. Ya know, like as an intern or clerk or something."

"Mmm-hmm…" Uncle Charlie continued sorting through the pile, his mind obviously far away.

Annoyed, I tapped my fingers on the hubcap of some old vehicle that was probably in a ditch somewhere. "And while I'm there, I'm… I'm gonna look for Manic."

"Mmm-hm- Wait, what?" My uncle's head snapped up and he stared at me incredulously.

I threw my arms in the air, "Notice how you don't pay attention to me until the name, 'Matthews' or 'Manic' turns up."

Charlie ignored my comment, "You're planning on leaving?"

"On my birthday, at the latest."

"On your-" he sputtered slightly, "But that's only next week! Why in Mobius would you want to leave our nice, safe town and go out into the dangerous city? You could get hurt, or-or killed! I've heard news reports of girls your age who've been-"

"Uncle Chuck, please!" I interrupted. He flinched at the sound of his real name. "I can _always_ tell when I'm in danger, remember?"

"Don't bring up that curse of yours," he growled, "I thought it had stopped by now. That you had- grown out of it."

"It's random...sometimes I don't have a vision for months...remember?" I rolled my eyes, "Do you really think I can 'grow out' of a psychic ability?"

"It's not psychic! All it is is a curse…" He turned back to the junk pile, "...from that-that night…"

I paused, "Uncle Chuck..."

He flinched. I ignored it.

"I've had dream visions since I was a little girl. I only started having them when I was awake after the...incident."

We were silent for a moment. "Do you miss them?" I whispered softly.

Uncle Charlie grunted and went back to work. "Do you expect me to give you money for your trip?"

And just like that, he had changed the subject. I sighed softly and shook my head.

"Good, because I ain't gonna." He picked up a radiator and threw it on the pile. "Dinner will be in ten."

Without another word, I marched into the house and into my room. After digging through my closet for a few minutes, I finally found my suitcase that I had gotten a year ago at a thrift store. It was a simple pink case that could hold plenty of clothes, among other things. I wasn't planning on leaving until my birthday, but I could still start packing.

"Sofia! Go wash up for dinner!"

I sighed and put down my suitcase. Over in the corner of my tiny bedroom was my bed. Pushed to the side of the wall was another bed of equal size, but it hadn't been slept in in four years.

With luck, I might be able to change that.

* * *

 ***back to June 23rd***

Matthews POV:

' _When we last left our hero, the Brave and Attractive Matthews "Maniac" Hedgehog, he was being chased by the dastardly Mitchell Street Meerkats who were out for his blood…'_

"Get back here, you little sneak thief!"

' _And for no good reason except that the Studly and Awesome Matthews may have swiped one or two teeny tiny hard drives from the evil Meerkat's leader. And it wasn't like they really needed them or anything, either. It only contained the security codes and confidential blueprints that might have belonged to a rival gang of theirs… oh wait, that was my- I mean, the Amazing and Courageous Maniac's gang of awesomeness.'_

I smiled and ducked around a corner, jumped up on a dumpster and grabbed the fire escape ladder, pulling myself up and climbing frantically, moving up three rungs at a time.

' _As the Handsome and...uh...Clever hedgehog begins to climb to safety,'_ I glanced down at the meerkats and gave out a yelp. I yanked myself up over the top of the building and pressed myself against the ground as several gun shots rang through the air. _'The villainous meerkats draw their guns and attempt to shoot our brave hero dead.'_ I **HATE** guns...

I heard two pieces of metal slide against each other and then a small bang as something hit the cement. _'And apparently they wish to join our Fantastic hedgehog on the roof.'_ A little annoyed, I rolled away from the side of the building that the gang was currently climbing. When I determined that they wouldn't be able to see me, I stood up and ran across the roof, jumping over the six foot gap to the next building. Unfortunately, I can only jump five and a half feet meaning, I had to grab the edge and hoist myself up without dying. It's harder than it looks.

' _When the breathtakingly strong sixteen year old finally lifted himself to safety, he paused to take a breath,'_ I looked at the building I just jumped from and hit the ground as bullets filled the air where I had just been standing. _'And our beloved hero may be facing his end.'_

My brain immediately pushed that happy thought aside. "Nah, I ain't dying on my birthday." I pulled my switch blade out of my boot and flipped it open. I looked down at it and gave a smile, "Sorry about this, Frederick. You were the best knife I'd ever had." After the gunfire ceased for a moment, I jumped up, aimed, and flung the blade.

I had deliberately aimed at the leader's right shin. If there was one thing I knew about the Meerkat gang, they were willing to die, but they were total wimps when it came to very painful wounds. The meerkat let out a shrill scream as his gun clattered to the ground and he grabbed at his leg.

I winced in sympathy, but took advantage of the distraction to duck down the fire escape on the other side of my building. Good thing too. The meerkats started to open fire on me as soon as my head had ducked out of bullet range. Their enraged shouts faded in the distance as I sprinted down the street. Already, I could hear the police sirens moving in.

Pulling my hood up to cover my face, I smiled. _'And that concludes this episode of, 'The Pickpocketing Adventures of Matthews "Maniac" Hedgehog, Thief Extraordinaire. We hope you tune in next time.'_

I fingered the two hard drives in my pocket. Yessir, Farrell was going to be happy to see these. He had been so angry at the guy who had lost them, I almost felt bad for the sucker. Almost. When it came to losing information that could make us a bundle, there wasn't much in the way of forgiveness, not in this part of town anyway. But then again, there wasn't much forgiveness in stealing said information back, so it was a nice birthday present to myself that I could close my eyes tonight, knowing that some certain ferrets wouldn't be able to shoot me in my sleep.

My birthday…

I dug my hands deep in my pockets and pulled out the bent and slightly fading photo of my parents and siblings. I traced Sonia with my finger and wondered what she was doing right now. Probably running from bullies or getting in an argument with Uncle Chuck. Part of me felt really bad for just leaving her like that, but I just couldn't take living with our Uncle any longer, and I knew that she would never come with me. In fact, she probably would've tried to stop me. My fingers paused on Maurice. He was probably so disappointed in me, wherever he was. Probably heaven. He wouldn't be in the other place. If anyone in the family was going there, it was going to be me and Uncle Chuck. At that thought, my frown deepened. Maurice had always tried to do what was right...and look at me. I was a petty thief hanging out with a gang who committed Chaos knows how much crime.

Of course, my parents would be disappointed in me too. Dad always told me that my unusual talent for stealing folks blind would get me someplace...I don't think this is what he meant. Mom always told me that stealing was a sin, and that it was wrong for me to take other people's things without asking them first. Mother knows best, right?

One of the cop cars sped past me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I tucked the photo away and smiled grimly. I scaled a chain link fence and kept low as not to be seen. I crawled on my stomach to behind a convenience store. With my face so close to the ground, I found a five dollar bill. I smirked.

"Happy birthday to me."

 **Ya know, it was by pure accident that this was ready on Sonic's birthday, but I'm happy with the accident.**

 **So just so you know, the chapters for the most part will go in this order: Sonic's POV, Sofia's POV, Matthews POV. Near the end we're going to bring in other characters POV such as Tails, Amy, Rouge, Shadow, and Knuckles. Also, most chapters will only take place in one POV (like the next chapter...although it's in Narrator's POV).**

 **Next chapter is...sort of confusing. So it's mentioned that Manic hates guns, but it isn't explained why. That's what next chapter is about, but it is a flashback to the first week that Manic ran away from. It has already been completely typed, but hasn't been fully edited yet so it will be up sooner than usual, but probably not today. This chapter will also explain why Manic is not a mugger...and something else. You'll see.**

 **Oh man, I am so going to cry.**

 **Please review!**


	2. Locke's Fate

**Hey y'all! I would like to apologize. I had a church camp that started on Monday and I got back yesterday and wasn't able to post this before I left so technically...I lied about a quick update. Sorry! I will be gone pretty much all of next week as well (church camp again. Love them!) so not sure when I'll update.**

 **I hope you liked the first chapter… Comments on reviews!**

 **Autumn: Yay! Sonic Generations...haven't played it, but I love some of the clip scenes.**

 **Sonicfan23: Well since I don't know what you have read I'll just say the following. Read the last chapter of 'Miles from Home'. Uncle Chuck was very paranoid about a certain insane doctor 'finding' them, and since he didn't know if he knew their names, he had Sonia and Manic change them. I decided to do names that were similar to their original. Sofia and Sonia just have one letter difference. Matthews and Manic...well they both start with 'Ma'.**

 **Agent BM: *blushes* Ops… I fixed it after you pointed it out. My bad. Sorry again. I think I mixed up that his birthday is on the 23rd…**

 **Maxi-T: It was a 'way past cool' coincidence. I am so glad you enjoyed the first chapter and hope that you enjoy the rest of the story. *takes cookie* YAY! I love cookies… (;**

 **Quantum27: *blushes again* I fixed it. Pretty sure I mixed up the date with the age. I'm glad you get giddy (welcome to when I'm reading yours (; ) Uncle Chuck is purposely portrayed a little...bad. Don't worry, Sonia gets out. And I died while typing Manic's narrating because it is something I would totally do. Don't worry, those pairings are going to be eased into (and you really don't need to count Tails and Cream. It's more of a crush than anything.)**

 **Zosonils: *stares at review and reads five hundred times. Fangirl screams* OH MY CHAOS! I ACTUALLY WANT TO BE AN AUTHOR SO THAT IS THE BEST REVIEW EVER!**

 **juancastri11: Hello, my friend! *looks up what 'OOC' means* Ooohhh… I am so grateful for Fandom Dictionaries. Anyway, I'm glad you think that. Sonia and Manic… I hope that you grow to like my versions as well. They will be different from the show (like, actually have different personalities).**

 **Now we have this whole mess. Let me explain.**

 **Originally, this scene was going to be in the preview chapter of this story in 'Miles from Home', but since that thing was getting WAY too long, we had to cut out something. This chapter is sort of background on four things: One, what in Chaos happened to Locke. Two, why Manic hates muggers. Three, why Manic doesn't use guns. Four, why Manic hates (most) cops.**

 **So… Locke. I got a lot of questions about what in Chaos happened to him and felt a little bad that I couldn't tell you. I wasn't sure what happened to him, to be honest. I just sort of thought that he died or just left, but didn't know how or why. So I kept my mind open for an opportunity to bring the Echidna in one last time and explain what in Chaos happened with him.**

 **And lo and behold, I figured out a way to explain it! Yay!**

 **Unfortunately, it's not a happy ending… yay…**

 **Here's the rundown to help explain what exactly happened before this chapter takes place: Locke left Angel Island when Knuckles was 10, on one of his regular trips. However, he planned to be gone for a little longer than usual. His plan was to be gone for about 6 months because Chaos had ordered him to try and find the Emeralds. He found one at a small archeological site near a very rich neighborhood (hint, hint) and hid it in his biplane (ta-da!). But then, when he was heading home, a sudden storm took him by surprise and he had to make a crash landing after being struck by lightning. Luckily, a kind old wolf (hello, Frank) agreed to fix his plane in two weeks. Locke planned to come back a month later so he had some more time to find another chaos emerald. He managed to find another emerald and began to make his way back to the mechanic's shop. On the way, he had to pass through a big city called Westopolis (what? It's a big city). It was there he saw a young green hedgehog almost get trampled to death. And that's where this whole story starts.**

Narrator's POV:

Matthews Hedgehog ambled down the city sidewalk, his teeth chattering from the bone-chilling wind. A dead leaf blew into his face and he brushed it away, crunching it in his palm. Chaos, he was hungry.

It had been one week since he had left home. The ten dollars he had 'borrowed' from his sister was long gone, and he hadn't eaten anything decent in twenty-four hours. His stomach grumbled in protest.

"What?" said Matthews angrily to his belly. "I just fed you a stick an hour ago! Whaddaya want from me?" It only bellowed in reply.

"Fine. You win," said Matthews. "I'll try and find something decent to eat."

But how? He was too young to get a job, and he didn't even have the money to buy a piece of moldy bread (not that he would've settled for that. He still had standards). It wasn't like he could just conjure up money or food from thin air, either.

He flipped on his hood to deflect the wind and continued down the sidewalk. Leaning against a brick wall, he slid into a sitting position, staring at the horde of people passing by. He grabbed his head and tried to push back the headache. For some reason, after moving to the big city, his 'headaches' had been growing and becoming more confusing and jumbled.

The clock chimed five times, indicating it was releasing time. A large wave of people just seemed to magically appear and started trudging down the street, all in a hurry to get wherever they need to go.

Matthews watched the horde and then saw something on the ground. _A twenty dollar bill! Score!_ He looked at the crowd and took a deep breath. He ducked and weaved over to the bill through the crowd, but when he leaned down to scoop up the life-saving bill, someone knocked him down and he fell flat on his face. Seconds later, he felt a boot stomping on his back. The wind was knocked out of him and gasped desperately for breath. But more and more shoes continued to tread on his agonized young frame. Either the city folk didn't notice or didn't care that they were stomping on a ten-year-old kid. He made yelping noises and tried to call for help, but no one noticed his pleas for help or even noticed his pained whimpers.

Just as Matthews was about to black out from the pounding and pain, someone grabbed him and swung the small hedgehog over his shoulder and ran into a nearby alley.

"You alright, sonny?"

A little dazed, he nodded at the red Echidna who had saved his life. "Th-thank you," Matthews replied. He stared down at his hands that were still shaking. "I… I n-never want to d-do that again."

The stranger smiled and sat down next to the kid. "And I don't think you will." he handed Matthews a handkerchief to wipe any marks off of him. "What are you doing out the streets without any parents? You are definitely not from around here."

Matthews tilted his head slightly and looked at the man for a few moments. "I'm a runaway."

"Well, that makes enough sense. Where you from?"

"A small town down south. Not as many people and activity."

The echidna gave another smile, "How'd you get all the way up here?"

"Took a bus as far north as I could pay for and then hopped in a moving van without anyone noticing. Ended up here."

"No one saw you?"

Matthews shook his head. "I'm pretty good at not being seen when I don't want to."

With a small chuckle, the stranger took out a granola bar and handed it to the boy. "You hungry?"

He didn't answer, but snuffed the bar down in a matter of seconds. The echidna watched, a small smile on his face.

"I'm Locke, by the way."

With food still in his mouth, "Matthews."

"Nice to meetcha kid. But you know, you really shouldn't have run away from home."

Matthews scowled. "It was no home, trust me there, mister. I argued with my Uncle like, all the time, tried to keep my sister safe from bullies, and still tried have a little fun. Didn't work out so well."

Locke frowned. "Why did you and your Uncle argue?"

"It's a long story that I don't feel like talking about."

"How old are you, kid?"

"Ten."

"That's pretty young."

"I grew up fast."

"You know, you're pretty trusting."

"I'm good at reading people. I can trust you."

The two sat in silence for a space of several minutes, each delving in their own thoughts. After a second, Matthews spoke again.

"So why are you still in town? Don't you need to get home?"

"I've been a little held up. My plane was struck by lightning and I had to make an emergency landing. It should be fixed by now." Locke smiled slightly, "I also got a little distracted by a little treasure hunting." Subconsciously he patted his pocket. "Found something that is very interesting…"

"Not that interesting."

"Well, it's only interesting to someone like me."

"Because Guardians are into pretty gems?"

"Well, a Chaos emerald is more than just a pretty gem, it's a-" Locke suddenly cut off and stared at the boy.

Matthews shifted uncomfortably. ... _Why is he staring at me like that?_

The echidna continued to stare with his eyes narrowed, tilting his head ever so slightly. The silence grew longer, and Matthews continued to become more and more uneasy. _Is there something in my teeth? Maybe I insulted him… Well, you shouldn't get on bad side of a Guardian, so I'm really hoping that's not the case. Wait, hold up- what in Chaos is a Guardian? …Someone who guards something, obviously. Let's see… he has a gem in his pocket, a Chaos Emerald to be exact, so maybe he guards these emeralds. You definitely don't one of those in the wrong hands. They can be nasty… Wait, what?_

Matthews couldn't take it anymore. Without any warning, he sprung to his feet and took off running.

Unfortunately, Locke was right behind him. "Wait! Matthews! Wait up, I didn't mean too-! Stop!"

 _I wish I had super speed_ , Matthews grumbled in his head. _That would make this mess a whole lot easier._

But the echidna was faster and stronger. He grabbed the kid and tightened his hold as Matthews began to kick and wiggle out of his grasp.

"Lemme go!" Matthews tried to squirm away, but Locke's grip was too tight.

"Calm down, kid! I'm not going to hurt you. Stop struggling!" Locke pushed Matthews to the ground as gently as he could without letting go. "I just want to talk!"

"About what?" Matthews stopped trying to escape and folded his arms, scowling as fiercely as he could.

"How… how in Mobius did you do that?" Locke tilted his head. "I never… I never said _anything_ about me visiting out of town, or being a Guardian, and I didn't even mention Chaos Emeralds. How- how did you know all that?"

Matthews starting twiddling his thumbs. "I...I…" He struggled to find the words that wouldn't make him sound like he'd escaped from the looney bin. "I-I dunno. It just sorta… popped in my head."

"Does that happen often?"

"I guess…" said Matthews, feeling unsure of himself. "I don't really pay attention half the time. And I usually just forget all about it afterwards anyway."

The echidna opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and scrunched up his face, pondering the situation. After a second he spoke, "Close your eyes."

Matthews obliged. He instinctively trusted this man, even though they had just met.

"Alright kiddo, I'm going to put something in your hands, but I want you to keep your eyes closed. Okay?" Matthews nodded, screwing his eyes shut as tightly as he could.

The hedgehog felt something cold and smooth slip into his hands; a vivid tingling sensation surged through him. He shifted slightly, not used to the feeling.

"Now Matthews, I want you to turn your thoughts to me. Tell me everything you can about me. Do you think you can do that?"

"Uh-huh." Matthews focused for a second and started to speak, slowly and a little shakily.

"Well... I know your name is Locke. You… you're a Guardian that lives… on an island off the mainland. Um… there's something... on that island that you protect… it's big and… powerful. Really powerful." Matthews started to grow a little more confident. "There's something weird about your island. It's not what grows there, but something about its condition. It's not sinking...or growing, but… flying? Okay then, flying island, why not?"

Sitting across from the boy, Locke stared in wonder. He silently sent a plea to Chaos to help him know what to do with this remarkable child.

Matthews continued. "You don't live alone. You've got a... family member with you. A male… not your father. He's young… your son. His name… something to do with a... physical trait? Okay, that works. He's like your apprentice. Training to become the next Guardian over… Angel… Angel Island. He's got some pretty intense anger issues..." Matthew's mind started to feel a little fuzzy, his body growing more and more tingling as each second passed. "But you're away a lot looking for the seven Emeralds, so you leave him by himself most of the time..." His voice died. _Locke just… left his son?_ Matthews had seen what had happened to his life when his father had left. A surge of anger washed over him like a flood and his hands began to tremble. He just left his kid by himself on a _flying island?_ Who _did_ that?

Locke leaned forward and studied the boy. He was very fidgety, never holding completely still. His fingers tapped on the chaos emerald that was in his hands. Never in his whole life had he seen someone so young be able to tap into the chaotic field, not like this anyway.

It was probably that thought that saved Matthews's life.

The purple gem started to glow fiercely. With a start, Locke realized he had made a terrible mistake. "Matthews!" He grabbed the gem, wincing at the burn and yanking it away from the boy.

Matthews's eyes flew open and he gave out a strangled scream, falling over on his side and clutching his head, convulsing wildly.

Locke dropped the emerald with a gasp. His hands felt as if they had been burned. Visibly the outside of his glove seemed fine, but to Locke it felt as if someone had just sliced his hands open and poured lemon juice on the cuts. He bit back a scream of his own and picked up the emerald again. "The servers are the seven chaos; chaos is enriched by the heart," he knelt down next to Matthews and put a hand on him, "...please help him. Do not let him fall into that dark pit that can never be climbed out of again."

The purple gem's burn immediately stopped and shifted into a warm, soothing glow. Locke placed the gem back in the boy's hands.

The convulsions and shaking began to fade until they finally stopped altogether. Matthews remained on the ground for almost a half an hour before he found the strength to sit up. He looked down at the gem and shoved it away.

"N-never… never again." he managed to croak.

Locke only nodded and put the gem out of sight. "I'm sorry, kiddo. I got too curious." On the inside, he felt horrible. He had pushed the kid too hard and had almost made him paid the price pay the price for his recklessness. But Matthews was obviously very strong in Chaos energy. He had never met anyone, not that he knew of, that showed this kind of power. There was one kid who was close, but that was a different hedgehog, a blue one he had met a few years earlier that seemed to have some sort of Chaos energy in him as well. But that was in super speed. This was a new encounter of which that he had never seen before.

Matthews scooted away from the emerald, but it didn't help his head. The energy was still fading from his body and the readings were still coming. "What is that thing?"

"It's a Chaos Emerald. And you were right, I do guard them."

"Why did it make me able to read you?" Matthews asked suspiciously.

"You have Chaos Energy in your blood. It must run in your family." Locke paused and smiled at the boy. "You're a very special boy, Matthews."

The hedgehog scoffed. "Yeah, right. If I'm _so_ special, then why am I on the streets?"

"Well, you did run away."

"I didn't have a choice!" the boy snapped back.

Locke raised an eyebrow. He knew that Matthews had a lot of talent and quite a bit of power. But his emotions seemed to control his actions completely, making it almost impossible to talk sense with him. Besides that fact, bad experiences seemed to have made the boy act a lot older than he actually was. Without really thinking about it, the echidna rubbed the emerald in his bag running his thoughts through his mind. After several minutes of silence, he finally spoke.

"Matthews," The boy perked up at his name. "This gift you have makes you extremely unique. But you need to learn to control it, before it controls you."

"Meaning?"

"If I say, helped you with your powers, would you consider returning home to try and straighten things out with your Uncle? I'm sure your sister is worried to death about you."

Matthews didn't answer at first, but stared at his hands for a moment. With a small sigh, he pulled out a small picture of two adult hedgehogs and three younger ones. The boy traced the figures slowly, pausing on the blue hedgehog. "Fine. I'll… I'll do it."

The echidna gave a small smile. "I'm glad." Locke stood up and held out a hand to help up the green hedgehog.

While being lifted to his feet, the boy accidently dropped his photo. Locke knelt down and picked it up ignoring the pain in his fist and palms. He studied the picture closely. _Blue and purple parents with a pink sister a blue bro-_ His thoughts cut off. Locke looked a bit closer at the blue hedgehog then asked, "Is this your family?"

Matthews nodded.

"Who's who?"

The hedgehog slowly pointed, "That's my Dad, Julian and my Mom, Aleena. The pink one is my sister Sonia- I mean Sofia." He looked a little nervous after that comment, but continued. "The last one is my brother, Maurice."

Locke's mind started to spin, "Maurice?" he asked in a small whisper.

"Yes, but he's dead." The boy said it with such bitterness it nearly broke Locke's heart.

"How long ago?"

"About four years."

Now Locke's face scrunched up in confusion. _I could have sworn I saw him three years ago… Yes, it was three years. Then why did Matthews say four?_ "Are you… are you completely sure it was four years ago?"

"Uh, yeah, why would I not be sure about my own parent's and brother's death?" Matthews looked away, the bitter grimace etched deeply into his face.

Locke's frown deepened as he handed the picture back to the boy, "But I could have sworn-"

A soft noise interrupted the echidna. It wasn't much, just the slap of leather soles against asphalt, but it was enough to make Locke look up at the alley entrance.

Three men in dark clothing stood blocking the way out. All wore a mask of some sort and carried a weapon. Two were just simple wooden baseball bats, but the center man, most likely the leader, held a gun.

The leader was pointing the weapon directly at Locke's head.

Now, under normal circumstances, the echidna would play the frightened civilian before beating the muggers to a pulp as soon as their guard had been let down. But this wasn't normal circumstances. For one thing, Matthews was standing just behind him, practically paralyzed with fear and confusion. For another, he usually wasn't carrying a chaos emerald on his person and since all of its energy had just been used a few minutes ago, it wasn't useful and needed to be protected at all costs. And finally, Locke's hands were injured from the emerald, meaning his punches wouldn't be nearly as effective. And if he tried to keep the pain hidden, it would probably only make things worse.

Basically, Locke had to keep Matthews alive, not lose the chaos emerald, and not die while his best fighting technique was practically useless. This could not turn out well.

"Woah, gentlemen, put away the gun. We don't want any trouble." Locke took a few steps forward with his hands up.

The leader gave a soft growl, "Don't move another inch. I'll shoot!"

Locke stopped. "Listen fellas, let's be rational now. I have fifty dollars on me that I'd gladly give you, if you just asked." To be perfectly honest, Locke was a relatively peaceful person. But being a Guardian required you to know how to fight in defense of the island, but that didn't mean the echidna enjoyed it when situations resorted to violence.

The three men exchanged a look then gained a few feet. Behind the echidna, Matthews took a few steps back. He tried to read the three, but was too weak to get anything back besides the sense that they were not merciful people.

"I'll take that," the leader prodded the echidna's head with his gun. "And any other valuables you have on ya. Got it?"

Locke pulled out his wallet and handed it to the man, wincing slightly at the pain that shot through his hands. "I swear, I don't have anything else that is worth anything to you." This was true...most people have no idea what a chaos emerald is or what it is actually worth.

"Is that so?" The man nodded at one of his buddies. The stranger raised the bat and struck Locke on the right shoulder. He grunted and dropped to his knees. Locke let out a sigh.

"Well, I gave you a chance." Using his leverage, he balled up his fist and delivered an uppercut to the man who had just hit him. The guy was only able to grunt before flying back at the brick wall, falling to the ground, out cold. Locke shook his fist, grinding his teeth to deal with the pain.

"CHAOS! THAT HURT!" He ducked as the other guy with a bat tried to hit him in the back of the head; he missed, barely grazing Locke's dreadlocks.

Matthews scrambled away from the fight, trying to find a way to help that wouldn't kill him. He found his way when Locke slipped of his satchel and tossed it at the kid. "Hold on to that and stay behind that dumpster!"

Stumbling over the junk slightly, Matthews picked up the bag and peaked inside. He almost threw away the bag as soon as he saw the emerald, but decided it was probably better to keep it hidden for a few minutes than let some idiot muggers get a hold of it. Diving behind a nearby dumpster, he watched as the echidna kept the focus off him.

Locke dodged another swing of the bat. He ducked another swing and used his leg to kick out the guy's legs. Unfortunately, his fists suddenly felt another sharp twinge of pain and he clutched them close to his stomach, trying to hold in the scream lodged in his throat. _What in Chaos is wrong with my hands?_ Locke had heard of burns, but this burn seemed to be becoming steadily worse. Perhaps it was because he hadn't treated it yet, or was irritating the skin.

The brief pause was enough for the man to retrieve his bat, attempting to strike the echidna again. Locke rolled out of the way then jumped up, punching the man square in the nose. A small crunch was heard and the man went reeling away, clutching his face as blood gushed between his fingers.

"OW!" Locke glared down at his hands. At this point, he was angrier with his injury than the men who were trying to rob him. With a growl he yanked off one of his gloves. Locke froze, his eyes staring blankly at his now bare hand.

Matthews was confused; why was the echidna just standing there while there was still one mugger left? Now was not the time to daydream!

The leader had been watching the exchange with some degree of shock. He shrugged and lunged forward, swinging the gun around and catching the distracted echidna in the head with the butt of the gun. Locke fell to the ground with a grunt, the gash in the back of his head bleeding lightly.

"Locke!" Matthews ran forward in front of the dazed echidna, his fists held up in a pathetic excuse for a fighting stance. The mugger found this rather amusing. He threw back his head and laughed.

"Scram, kid!" He swooped forward and tried to wrench the bag from Matthew's hands. "Right after I take this!"

Matthews almost let go of the bag in surprise, but tightened his grip and dug his feet in the ground for leverage. "No! Let go, you big stupid jerk!"

For a moment the two played a game of tug of war, but in the end the stranger won, grabbing the back of Matthew's hoodie and yanking him and the bag apart. The man dangled him in the air for second before throwing him roughly on the ground. Matthews skidded across the pavement next to Locke, skinning the entire left side of his face and legs.

"Now, what do we have here?" He opened the flap and his eyebrows rose. "Well, well, well, isn't this a nice surprise? How'd you boys know it was my birthday?"

Locke moaned and pushed himself up, his arms shaking with the effort. He gritted his teeth and grimaced fiercely. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Really. And what are you gonna do about it, old man? Huh?" The man pointed the gun at the echidna, smirking. With wide eyes, Matthews noticed that the gun's safety wasn't on.

And that was when it all went very, very wrong.

Locke lunged forward at the man, determined to rip the emerald from the mugger's hands. Instinctively, the man recoiled, tightening his grip ever so slightly.

To be honest, the man never intended to use the gun. He usually used it as a scare, sometimes shooting into the air or the ground to frighten people into not hiding their valuables. Never in his life had he intended to actually shoot anyone.

A large gunshot rang out; echoing through alley, but it was mostly muffled by the busy traffic. But in the young hedgehog's ears, it seemed to drown him in the sickening sound.

The echidna froze, his face frozen with shock and confusion. In a daze, he wrapped his arms around his bleeding stomach kneeling over. Without another sound he fell over on his side onto the street, the pool of dark red blood spreading at an alarming rate.

The shooter stared in horror. Without waiting another second, he threw the bag with the Chaos emerald to the ground and chucked the gun in a nearby dumpster before sprinting away.

His hands shaking, Matthews crawled over to the echidna. He flipped the man over and his face immediately paled. That was a lot of blood.

"L-L-Lo-Lo-Loc…" he couldn't manage any other sound.

Locke gave a groan and weakly answered, "You okay, kid?" The hedgehog managed a nod.

"Is the Emerald okay?"

Another nod.

"Good… make sure it stays… that way."

The hedgehog just nodded, not fully comprehending what the echidna was saying. He stood up and managed to force out, "I-I-I'll get help. Don't go anywhere and don't… just stay… promise you'll be okay… okay?" Locke nodded, cringing.

Matthews got up and ran.

He called desperately for help as he ran, weaving in and out of the crowds. At first it was so soft that few could hear it. But over time, the shock began to fade and soon almost everyone was watching the boy run around, pleading for someone, _anyone_ , to help him. No one came. After several minutes, a police officer finally had enough.

"Kid! You're disturbing the peace!" said the officer, clearly annoyed. "Quit yelling!"

"But-but… my friend. Alley way. G-gun. Shot!" Matthews babbled to the officer.

He ignored him and pushed the kid along, "Move it, kid! No one wants to listen to a street beggar. Now scat."

Out of nowhere, a different voice replied for Matthews. "Hey now, Rogers, that's not very nice. The kid's just trying to tell us something." Over walked a spotted dog in a matching uniform to the other officer. He knelt down next to the hedgehog. "Now one more time kid, but slower."

With a few deep breaths, Matthews explained again, this time more clearly, "I was in an alley… with a friend and some muggers… one of them shot him!" That was when the tears started to come.

Rogers scoffed in the background, "Bobby, it's probably some stupid prank that his friends put him up to."

"Or maybe it's not. Someone could be seriously hurt." Bobby looked back at Matthews. "You're telling the truth, right kid?"

Matthews nodded quickly, trying to wipe the tears away.

"Can you take me to where your friend is?"

The hedgehog didn't answer this time, but grabbed the officer's arm and began to drag him to Locke.

"Woah, kid! Take it easy, I'm right behind you." Bobby picked up the pace to match Matthews running. With an annoyed sigh, Roberts followed the two.

Ten minutes later (Matthews hadn't noticed how far he had to run for help) the three of them returned to the alley. The two other muggers had disappeared, but Locke and the satchel remained. By this point, Locke had fallen unconscious and was lying in a pool of his own blood; his face and skin had paled to a frighteningly light shade of red.

Bobby took one look at the echidna and pulled out his walkie-talkie. "I need an ambulance on the corner of Franklin and Washington, stat. We've got a 10-71, possible Code Purple." He hung up and applied some pressure to the wound, mopping up the blood from Locke's chest with a handkerchief.

Off on the side, Matthews watched, unable to tear his eyes away from the scene. When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics took over the operation. No one noticed or questioned the satchel on the ground nearby, nor when Matthews picked it up and slung it over his shoulder.

The police took the boy's statement as the paramedics loaded the echidna in the ambulance. Matthews didn't tell them about the Chaos Emerald or his 'reading' abilities, but gave everything else on what he could recall about the situation. Bobby thanked the hedgehog then offered to give him a ride to the hospital. Matthews readily agreed.

* * *

 ***Three days later***

Matthews stood in the rain at the local cemetery. There had been no religious leader or family or even a traditional funeral. It had taken all of Matthews's energy to even convince the doctors to bury the echidna and not cremate him.

' _The bullet hadn't hit anything vital, and his blood loss wasn't too substantial. He could've made a full recovery.'_

Matthews traced the headstone. Since the echidna's wallet had been taken, no one knew his full name. In fact, there was no name on the stone at all. It wasn't even a real headstone, but a large rock that had been on the side of the road that Matthews had spent a better part of a day dragging there.

' _He seemed to be in good physical condition, but there was something else at work. It didn't seem like he even_ wanted _to survive. Aside from that, we can't explain it.'_

Years later, Matthews would replace the rock with an actual headstone that would read: _Here lies Locke: a Guardian and Selfless Hero. May your Memory Serve Those whom you Served._

The hedgehog gripped the leather satchel a little tighter. As soon as he could, the boy planned to throw the emerald in the river. He couldn't stand the sight of it, but also knew he couldn't sell it. It was just too dangerous. After standing there for a few moments, Matthews placed a small bundle of weedy dandelions at the foot of the rock. It was the only flower-like thing he could find in this town for free.

For a brief moment, the wind picked up, blowing some of the seeds off the flowers and into the air, swirling in a gentle and intricate pattern. Matthews watched the seeds disappear in the distance. It had surprised him that after he had received the news of Locke's death, he hadn't shed a tear. He wanted to cry, but couldn't bring himself to it. If anyone deserved tears, Locke did. But all he felt was guilt for not crying, and loneliness. Biting, numbing loneliness.

Without a word, the hedgehog turned around and trudged out of the cemetery.

 **As Halo has mentioned before: Why is it so fun to write depressing stories? I apologize to anyone who was hoping that Locke would return.**

 **So...yeah. Please don't kill me! Honestly, I tried to find a reason for Locke to stay away that long that wasn't depressing, but nothing came. And if you remember, that in the Archie Comics, Locke does actually die saving Knuckles from Enerjak… Or Knuckles from himself? You know what, never mind. That story arc was a little confusing.**

 **Also, if you read closely, there is some foreshadowing of what is to come. Dun, dun, dun!**

 **I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter (or I guess didn't enjoy it…?). Review please!**


	3. Game Night at Rouge's

**Hey y'all! Let's get ready for a fun chapter!**

 **This is going to be a nice break from all of those depressing chapters. Also, I do not own or take credit for any of the games mentioned. They all belong to their respectable owners and makers (I am not looking all of them); I am simply using their wonderful games in a chapter.**

 **Comments on Reviews:**

 **Zosonils: Enerjak: Reborn… Is that a fanfiction, or did I just miss an issue in Archie Comics or is the Enerjak thing in Archie Comics called that? I think I just confused myself… anyway; I want to be an author, so I'm happy that you think my writing is that good. Best compliment I could ever get.**

 **Autumn: I will and thanks for the review!**

 **Quantum27: Well, I just don't own the game or know anyone who does. Is Sonic Generations on the Xbox 360? I get giddy when I read something that makes me go, 'Ooh, I like that. Wish I had thought of it first,' or, 'hey, it's just like my story!' Actually, I didn't mean to make that ironic, but after I typed it and reread the chapter, I died of laughter. 'Chaos Blessed'... Can I use that term? Just kidding, but seriously that does have a really cool ring to it. Roberts and Bobby...let me just say, that I am not good with coming up with names and I usually just use the first name that pops in my head. (For instance, Bobby the cop and Bobby the fox who picks on Sonia...whoops.) I love the INTERWEBS. That's how I read the Archie Comics. Look up sonicscansf. Membership is free.**

 **gwencarson126: Here is an update and I will continue to write. Thank you!**

 **Let's Move Out!**

Sonic's POV:

I will never understand General Tower's ideas or intentions. Seriously, I'm actually starting to understand why Shadow doesn't like the guy much. Every fight-free Friday night (alliteration, heh), Team Sonic and Team Dark were basically required to do some sort of 'bounding exercise'. It was supposed to build 'trust' or something like that. They might as well just lock all of us in a room with a bunch of loaded guns and turn off the lights.

Sometimes we went to a movie, other times it was an amusement park. But I think my personal favorite was game nights. It always was entertaining to watch and attend.

In fact, the Friday after my birthday was one of these special nights. Rouge was hosting this time at her apartment. And when I say apartment, I really mean her luxury penthouse. If there was one thing Rouge knew how to do, it was get what she wanted. When joining GUN, she arranged to get this high in the sky, state-of-the-art penthouse in downtown Station Square. After Shadow and Omega joined, she had the two move in the guest bedrooms... which they never use. Pretty sure that Shadow never slept anywhere and that the only time he stepped in that place was on these types of nights. Omega just remained in GUN HQ at all times (he wasn't allowed on these outings due to the time we were at a movie theater and he started shooting at the screen...probably not the best idea to take him to an alien invasion movie). Basically, it's Rouge's spy hideout and Team Dark's Headquarters. That week, Tails and I were running late.

Again.

"Seriously," Tails commented as we waited for the elevator to reach the correct level, "For the fastest guy on the planet, you sure are late a lot."

I tapped my foot impatiently, watching the numbers just seem to crawl until it finally reached the top floor. "I knew we should have taken the stairs…"

Tails rolled his eyes as the doors opened. We walked down to number 13 and knocked.

Amy answered the door, her expression a little peeved. "Well, well, the Tardy Twins have arrived!" She motioned us into the penthouse. "I can't believe you're late again! Even _Shadow_ came on time."

The faker was sitting at the kitchen table with Knuckles, Rouge, and Cream, watching them play some card game. As far as gaming went, Shadow usually sat out of all of the games. We once made the mistake of playing poker one night, though. Let's just say that all of us lost our money and Shadow made a fortune.

He nodded at Tails and me slightly then turned his attention back to Rouge and Knuckles, who were arguing about something.

"I swear, I'm not the bat around here."

"Rouge, I know you cheated!"

"And how, sweetheart, am I supposed to cheat at 'Go Fish'?"

"...I dunno, match them in the deck? You're the criminal mastermind here, you tell me!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, hon."

The two of them finally saw us. Knuckles greeted us with a nod and Rouge stood up and spread her arms out. "Why, hello boys. I see you finally decided to grace us with your presence."

"Sorry we're late… Sonic wanted to stop for chili dogs. Shocker, huh?" Tails sat down next to Cream, who gave a little curtsy and wave in greeting.

Rouge faked an expression of hurt. "Blue, you know I always have chili dogs on these nights."

"Well, I just felt a little bad last time when I ate them all and decided I should eat something before I got here." I sat down across from Tails, Shadow to my left and Amy to my right. Cream sat in between Tails and Rouge and Knuckles was next to Rouge.

The bat put the cards away and pulled out a different box. "Who wants to play Monopoly?"

Okay, before we dive into too much detail, let me just say that all of us are an expert at at least one of the games that we play every time. Yes, we play almost the same exact same games every week, but hey, why mess up a perfect game plan? Everyone has a slight higher chance at winning at least one game every night. It made things a little less...messy.

As you can probably guess, Tails bankrupted everyone on the board after roughly 12 turns, which I never knew was possible. Amy is the queen of guessing and acting out charades. It's like she was born into this role. For a reason no one ever understood, Cream always won Pictionary. And when I say always, I mean _always_. Even when the drawing was just a few scribbles, she always knew what it was, and her drawings were simple, but easy to guess. We played a few rounds of poker (we got smart and betted snack foods this time) and Shadow swept everyone away, even when he wasn't trying (which was basically the whole game). Knuckles had a knack for anything involving memory and Rouge owned Yahtzee (she claimed that her dice rolling skills from her days in Vegas helped out some). My game of the night was usually Uno. Don't ask why, but I was really good at it.

I loved these game nights for a few reasons. One, I'm a competitive person and sometimes I need a slice of humble pie. Actually, forget I said that. I hate losing and this was one way to get better at a few games that I wasn't as good at. Another reason is we had some conversations that would never happen anywhere else. For example: "Tails, please stop building those chaos cursed hotels. Otherwise all of my money is going to go to some invention that's going to blow up our house."

We were in the middle of our fifth round of Uno when everyone finally had enough of my crazy-awesome skills.

"That's it! I quit! Game over!" shouted Knuckles, tossing his cards in the air.

"Great idea, Knux, let's play fifty-two pick up." I retorted, smirking. "You know what they say- if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

"When did we start talking about kitchens? This is about you making me skip my turn for the _last seven turns!_ Come on!"

"Here's an idea," I said, grinning. "How about instead of being a sore loser, you just admit that I'm ultimately superior to you in every way that counts? There's no shame in coming clean."

In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have said that. If I didn't, we might have been able to avoid the resulting, eh, 'scuffle' between us. But in my defense, I really didn't expect Knuckles to just lunge at me like that.

Amidst the fighting between me and Knuckles, I could heard shreds of conversation in the background: Tails yelling at us to knock it off, Rouge laughing, and Amy threatening to get out her hammer if we didn't quit.

"Mister Shadow, mister Shadow!" pleaded Cream. "Please make them stop! Please, mister Shadow!"

The next thing I knew, Knuckles and I were being pried apart with Shadow's Chaos Control.

We both went silent and quit trying to squirm out of his telepathic grip. Shadow scowled menacingly at us, and then tossed us both across the room to separate corners. I got up and brushed myself off.

"Well, that was fun!" I said cheerfully, walking over to Knuckles and reaching out a hand to help him up. "Anyone up for another round of Uno?"

"NO!"

"Your vote doesn't count, Knux."

"How about Risk?" suggested Amy, riffling through Rouge's games cabinet.

Shadow raised an eyebrow, "What in Chaos is that?"

Tails scratched the back of his head, "It's sort of like taking over the world with an army, but in board game form."

"Oh… Why not?"

Let's just say that Risk became one of those games that you cannot play with Shadow. Ever. It's actually kind of scary how good he is at it. In fact, when I made a comment about it, he just looked up and glared at me. I shut up pretty quick.

After two hours of board games we finally got bored (heh, heh- puns), which meant every guy basically grabbed for a video game controller. The three girls just rolled their eyes and joined us on the couch to watch, although Cream went home when her Mom dropped by. Good thing too, because I don't really like playing Halo with her around (she starts freaking out the minute she thinks we're killing people).

After about seven racing games, ten rounds of Halo (one with the girls at their insistence. They won), and some crazy party game on the Kinect (Shadow refused to play), Rouge finally called it night around eleven.

We all thanked her and headed out the door. When we left the lobby, Shadow hopped on his motorcycle and drove off to Chaos knows where (why he has that thing is beyond me). Amy, Tails, Knuckles, and I gave a wave as he drove by, but we all just took the bus home. On the ride, we chatted about the evening and what we wanted to do next week if Robotnik didn't attack.

About ten minutes later we pulled to a halt in front of our bus stop. We paid the fare and walked down the street towards our houses. At Vanilla's, we said our goodbyes to Amy and she started to walk up to the front porch.

Just next door, we were just seconds behind her to get to the door. I paused on the porch and peered in the darkness towards the little cottage. The front porch light was still on and flickered slightly, but it was enough to see Amy's outline.

I guess she saw me staring at her, because her silhouette waved at me. A little too quickly, I waved back and went inside.

Knuckles must have already gone up to bed. Tails was standing in the front hall, his arms crossed and a smug smile twitching to life.

"What?"

"You like her."

"What? No!" I gave a shrug. "What's wrong with making sure your friend gets home safely?"

"Oh, nothing. Except when she's Amy and can summon a giant hammer to smash anyone who could possibly hurt her."

I didn't have anything to say to that, so just walked to my room.

Yep… just an average game night with Team Sonic and Team Dark.

 **...Can I just point out that Shadow would be scary in Risk. Like, really scary. Also, you may have noticed that Shadow listens to Cream. I just like the brother-sister relationship between those two, because let's be honest here: Cream would be the only person who can get away with buttering up Shadow's attitude.**

 **Also, that was a really bad Sonamy moment, but for the record, I'm trying to ease into the pairings and of all of them, Sonamy is the one that I am having the most difficulty with… which is kind of weird because it is one of the more common ones that people use.**

 **And if you are ever on a date, make sure that your date either watches you or you watch them walk safely to the door. It would be nice if you walked them up, but seriously, don't just drive off. It's rude and can be a little freaky for the person all alone at midnight. I'm just saying (and no, I'm not talking from personal experience, I'm just saying.)**

 **Anyway, please review!**


	4. Runaway Troubles

**Well, you'll never guess who's going to make an appearance in this chapter. I'm serious ...and no, it's not Locke.**

 **Comments:**

 **Juancastri11: Challenge accepted.**

 **Zosonils: I love Memory as well. That chapter was mostly just for fun and building relations up.**

 **Quantum27: Okay then, I'll have to get it. I've never actually played Risk, but I have watched my cousins play it slightly. Yes, Shadow would be terrifying. I will keep that in mind.**

 **Autumn: You're fine. Glad you enjoyed it.**

 **Let's Rollout! (...I am really ashamed of myself for all of these non-Sonic fandom geek references…)**

Sofia's POV:

Out of respect for my Uncle, I didn't leave until the day after my birthday. My luggage was packed, my money in my wallet, and my Uncle was still trying to convince me to stay.

"Sofia, it's dangerous out there! Please, just stay here where it's safe and normal and-"

"Have no idea what in Chaos is going on out in Mobius?" I raised an eyebrow. Gently, I took my uncle's hand. "Calm down, Uncle Chuck," I ignored the flinch. "I'll be fine, I promise."

He took a deep breath and sighed. "I know but... I worry about you. As you said, you don't know what's out there. You've got no idea what Mobius is like right now."

"Which is exactly why I'm leaving." I picked up my bags and was about to head out the door when the bell rang. Briefly wondering who could be coming to visit, I unlatched the screen door. Leaning against the porch, grinning arrogantly, was Bobby.

"Well, hey there, doll face," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. I groaned and was about to slam the door, but he grabbed it and held it firmly open.

"Now come on, I won't bite," he crooned, reaching to stroke a stray hair out of my face. I slapped his hand away hard, and he recoiled.

"Whaddaya want, Bobby?" I hissed, narrowing my eyes.

"You're real cute when you try ta be mad." He smirked cheekily, and my blood boiled.

"Are you just here to annoy me to death? 'Cause if so, mission accomplished." I snarled poisonously.

"Now don't be like that, Sophie! I jes' dropped by ta tell you that Levi James is having a lil' shindig down by the docks t'night, and if you'd like to accompany me. I promise I'll make it worth yer while." He caressed my cheek, and it took every ounce of willpower in me not to judo flip him off the porch. Or into the next county.

"I wouldn't go with you if you paid me." I growled with as much contempt as I could muster. Chaos, I hated him.

"Aw, don't tell me you're still sore over me teasing you way back when!" That infuriating smirk grew bigger, as if this were some big joke. "We was jes' kids then, I didn't mean none of it! Tell ya what- how's about we make amends over some drinks tomorrow night? The bartender's a family friend, he'll let us in. My treat." He inched closer and closer to me until we were less than a millimeter apart.

I almost didn't move I was so shocked. Was he _chaos-freakin' serious?_

I shoved him away roughly. "Are you _kidding_ me?" I shouted. "You- you think takin' me out ta get wasted and pulling one of your little mind games on me 'll just smooth over you tormenting me for _eight years?_ Heck, I'd prefer if you were still throwing rocks at me!"

"Well, I-"

"Don't you start with me, you womanizing creep!" My voice grew louder and louder. "How d'you even have the gall to _suggest_ I could _ever_ be interested in a chauvinistic jerk like you! The nerve!"

"Sophie, don't be like that," he crooned, that stupid smile still there. "I ain't like that no more. Jes' gimme a chance, I promise I'll be nice. How about next Saturday? There's a movie playing at the theater."

"Well, guess what, Romeo?" I sauntered up close to him, my voice dripping with venom. "I ain't gonna be here this Saturday. Or the one after that. Or the one after that. Y'know why? 'Cause I'm getting out of this stupid town for good, so I don't have to look at your ugly face ever again!"

Bobby looked shocked. "You- you're leaving?"

"You heard me."

"Wh-when?"

"My bus leaves in a half an hour."

His face lit up. "At least let me take you ta the diner fer a proper send off. Anything you want, on me."

"Oooh, I don't think so. I got plans, y'see. I've got target practice to get to before I leave." I turned and yelled into the doorway, "Hey, Uncle Charlie! You got the rifles ready?"

"Rifles? What're you-" Uncle Chuck peered out the door, Bobby waving sheepishly to him. His eyebrows furrowed and he crossed his arms.

"Oh, I see. Yep, I got the rifles right here, Sofia. Care to join us, Bobby? You can hold the targets."

Bobby's smirk began to falter, his eyes darting to the rifle perched in the umbrella holder next to the coat closet.

"Uh, nah, that's okay," he said. "I- I'll jes' be on my way, then…" He began to walk slowly off the porch to the dusty dirt walkway.

"No, no, please, don't be scared now, sonny." said Uncle Chuck, picking up the gun. "Here, lemme show you how it's done."

He pulled the trigger and almost instantly the bullet created a miniature crater right next to Bobby's foot. He yelped, falling backwards and gaping in horror at Uncle Chuck. Chuck fired again, the bullet whizzing past his ear. Bobby stumbled to his feet and took off running.

"Git! That'll teach you ta trespass on my property, ya rotten punk! I said _git!_ " Uncle Chuck kept firing, each time narrowly missing his target by inches. I nearly died laughing at the sight of that creep running for cover. Uncle Chuck kept shooting until Bobby was finally out of sight.

"Uncle Chuck, that was _amazing!_ " I hugged him tightly around the neck. He grinned sheepishly.

"Anything for my favorite niece."

"I'm your only niece."

"That's why you're my favorite." He paused. "That whole thing reminds me…" He disappeared for a minute then reappeared with...was that a handgun?

"Uncle Chuck, I'm not going to need-"

He held up a hand, interrupting, "Sorry Sofia, but I'm putting my foot down for this one. Already got your license, just need you to sign the paper. Relax, you can keep it in your purse. I don't expect you to actually use it, but it's a nice way to scare off boys like Bobby, as you just saw." After his little 'speech' he handed me the handgun.

Very reluctantly, I put it in my purse. I guessed it couldn't hurt to have a weapon other than my self-defense metal rod (I'll tell you later) and my 'intuition'.

I turned back to my suitcases and picked one up, Uncle Chuck taking the other. We climbed into the dusty red pickup truck and drove in amiable silence to the bus station. We got out and walked over to the ticket booth, where I handed a wad of cash to the ticket vendor whose name tag read Alice. As she punched in my information on her computer, I took the moment to look around this rotten town one last time. It felt good to know that I only had a few more minutes before I could leave, maybe forever.

I smiled and turned back to the ticket window where the vendor was waiting with my bus pass. "Thank you, Miss Alice."

"Have a good trip" the squirrel replied in a monotone voice. She motioned for me to move along.

I grabbed my handbag and one of my suitcases; Uncle Chuck had my last case. We walked over to the waiting bus in silence. With a small grunt, he opened the storage area underneath and placed my cases inside.

He turned to me and stared People just walked and shifted around us.

The stations crackly intercom came on, "The nine a.m. bus will be departing shortly. Please purchase your tickets and board the bus."

I smiled. "Well… that's me." A little awkwardly, I hugged my Uncle again. He squeezed me gently, his mouth close to my ear..

"Be safe, Sonia." he whispered, his voice cracking slightly. I'm not sure who was more startled by the name, me or my Uncle. He cleared his throat rather loudly and reached into his pocket; out came a small white envelope, "Here's some money for your trip."

"I thought you said that you wouldn't be giving me any money." I inquired.

He pressed it into my hands, "I changed my mind. You'll need this more than I ever will. Now, get on outta here, ya little daredevil." He sniffed, wiping away a tear.

"Doggone it, Sonia, now you got me being all sentimental." He pushed me lightly towards the bus. "Go... go on. Go find your place in the world."

I tucked the money away in my purse and walked to the bus doors. I handed my pass to the driver who glanced at it and waved me away, handing the pass back. I sat down in a seat in the back of the bus and stared out the window at my Uncle. As the bus pulled away, he raised his hand in farewell. I mirrored the action then sat down. As my town flashed by, I never looked out the window.

There was no reason to.

* * *

The many hours of driving blurred together until the bus finally pulled into a stop at a small town that was still pretty far south, but looked newer and larger than some of the other towns that we had driven through. The bus driver informed us that we would have two hours to get lunch and take a look around. Can't say I wasn't grateful for the break- those seats weren't exactly the most comfortable things..

I stepped off the bus and found the nearest city map. The whole town was actually an island with nine bridges connecting it to the mainland. After a few moments, I finally determined to tour the nearest bridge to this stop, Taylor Bridge. It only took about five minutes to get there and I found a hot dog vendor pretty quickly.

"What can I get you, miss?" said the portly vendor, sounding overly bored.

"Um…" I looked at the options on the menu. "Can I get a tofu dog, please? And a small diet soda."

"One tofu dog, coming up." He reached down under the stand and shuffled around something. He pulled out a fully dressed tofu dog on a paper plate and a small cup of diet soda. I thanked the man and paid him, taking my lunch a little further down the bridge. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted an almost empty bench on the right side. One side was empty while a yellow male fox sat on the other side. In his right hand was a half-empty glass beer bottle and a folded up newspaper in his left. After a moment, I determined he was no threat and sat down on the other side of the bench.

My tofu dog was actually quite good, especially since it didn't make me think of canned meat. I swear, Uncle Chuck turned me into a vegetarian just for serving that stuff every single day of my life. After my plate was empty and my soda had been slurped up, I turned my attention back to the man.

He was probably in his mid-forties, maybe early fifties. His eyes were a little unfocused from the alcohol and a permanent scowl etched in his face. His eyes weren't moving while he stared at the paper; he wasn't bothering to even read it. The fox's tail twitched slightly every once in awhile, also another probable side effect from his drink.

"Whatr' you starin' at?" His words were slurred from the drink.

My mind snapped awake as I realized I had been a little rude. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir. I was just… um, thinking." The fox grunted slightly and took another swig from his bottle. It made me feel sort of...uncomfortable.

"Um...isn't it a little early to be drinking?" I asked, eyeing him warily.

"No."

Something told me that the fox was done talking, but I decided to see if he knew anything about Manic. After all, if Manic was running north, he may have passed through the town, or if I was lucky, was actually here. I forced down that hope and inquired to the man, "Er, I don't mean to be rude... but, um, have you ever seen a green hedgehog in town? He'd be about sixteen at this point, my height?"

The man just glared at me, his muddy blue-grey eyes blurry and unfocused. "Why?"

"Well, see, my brother- the green hedgehog- he ran away about six years ago and-"

A small chuckle escaped the fox. "A runaway? Girl, this town for renowned for runaways. People don't stay here long if they don't know how to live. Most either join a gang, jump off a bridge, or run away."

I think my skin turned a shade lighter as I thought about what kind of town would have all of that. "So...you haven't seen him? He may have passed through here."

"Ifff I saw him, I don't 'member him. Now ifff you're done interrogating me, ssscram."

My anger started to boil. "Well there is no need to be rude, Mister…?"

"Prower. Alex Prower. Now get outta here, orrr else."

"Look, Mr. Prower." I said indignantly. "You could just get up and walk away if I'm annoying you that much."

The fox blinked a few times and scowled menacingly. "Sssee here, sweetcheeks, I'm comfortable on my bench. I wasss here first. Now get lost!" He tried to swing his bottle at me in a shooing gesture, but the neck slipped out of his slackened grip, it flying off the bridge and into the muddy green waters. Mr. Prower stared at his empty hand and glared at him. "Now lookit what you did. You owe me a new bottle of whiskey."

I stood up and straightened my skirt. "No, I don't. If you ask me, you need to lay off the drink anyway. Then maybe you wouldn't be such a miserable drunk who sits on a dock all day, drinking his life away! Your family must be worried to death about you."

"My wife's dead, my daughter jumped off this bridge, and my freaky son is a good for nothing runaway off wasting his time with some other crazy freak boy." He waved his newspaper slightly, "See him in the paper every other day for something they did."

My initial reaction was shock. "Oh my Chaos, I am so sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Sorry?" he barked. "Why're ya sorry? Both my kids were failures, especially the boy, the lil' two-tailed freak."

"Two-tailed...what?"

"None of your business, ya rotten snoop. Now get outta here 'fore I really lose my temper." He waved me away and returned to staring blankly at his newspaper.

Are you confused as I am?

Very puzzled, I picked up the remaining trash from my lunch. "Well, maybe he's not such a failure. Maybe if you just talked to him-"

"He'd never talk to me."

"Okay then, write him a letter!" I almost shouted. He was beginning to get on my nerves. "All I see is a communication problem. You're never going to get anywhere with him if all you do is sit on a bench and drink away your problems! This could all be sorted out if you would just try!"

Again, the man scoffed, "I beat up on the brat and told everyone else ta do the same. I chucked him out of my house when he was three. There ain't no 'sorting out' that could fix that." He said it with such a bitterness, I almost believed him. But I have a strong belief that families should stay together and not fall apart, which pushed me to say just one last thing.

"Okay, that might be true, but it never hurts to get up off your backside try, for the love of Chaos! Good day!" I walked away and dumped my garbage in a nearby trash can, then hurried back to the bus stop. During my conversation with the strange fox, I hadn't noticed how the time that had flown by. Luckily, I managed to reach the bus with only minutes to spare.

I walked down the aisle back to my seat next to the window. Outside the foggy glass, I could still see Mr. Prower in the distance, still sitting on the bench. He was hunched over, his face buried in his hands. I couldn't help but smile in spite of myself.

I had gotten through to someone.

 **I just thought of something… If you take a chili dog and give it to a Mobian pig, would that be considered 'cannibalism'? Same with hamburgers…**

 **Anyway, who enjoyed Mr. Prower? I have a feeling that all of you were yelling at Sonia to punch him in the face. Personally, I wanted too so badly, but decided that we already had enough violence the previous chapter.**

 **Also, did anyone else die of laughter with Uncle Chuck shooting at Bobby? Because I did!** _ **(Halo's Note- That was my idea. It was fun to write.)**_

 **Anyway, review please!**


	5. The Pickpocketing Adventures of Matthews

**Oceanera12 : Hey, y'all! So this next chapter is going to be a little different. And when I say a little different… I mean I don't know how different it is actually going to be. I know, I'm not making a lot of sense so let me explain. This chapter and its characters were planned and drafted up by my co-writer. Not me. Meaning, I don't exactly know what to do with this. Usually, I type up most of the chapter with Halo editing my grammar stuff and then adding a few of her own sentences and comments. But since this is mostly her stuff, I decided, 'Hey, let's have Halo take a chapter over.' And if it goes over well, then maybe we'll do it again sometime. Hope you enjoy, and I'll see you at the end of the page.**

 **So without further ado, take it from here, Halo!**

 _ **HaloEssence111: That's right, people, you heard it! Halo's taking over this chapter! Prepare for a bizarre sense of humor that will both shock, bewilder, and enlighten you, all at the same time! (Or at least that's what my friends tell me. Go figure.)**_

 _ **BTW, just a note- all my remarks will be in italics, while Era's are in normal script.**_

 _ **And with me taking over this chapter, that also means that I will be responding to comments this time!**_

 _ **Gwencarson126: Yes, yes he is.**_

 _ **Agent BM: Glad to hear it.**_

 _ **Juancastri11: I'm sorry to hear that you hate Manic. Hopefully this next chapter will sway your opinion of him somewhat.**_

 _ **Quantum27: I'm hungry too. Got any chips?**_

 _ **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Ha! That's what I'd do, too. Great minds think alike, am I right?**_

 _ **Echo Spectre: Let me just say this right now- I LOVE YOUR AVATAR PICTURE. Fellow Fallers, unite!**_

 _ **Onward!**_

Matthew's POV:

' _We now return to… (drumroll, please…)_

 _ **The Pickpocketing Adventures of Matthews "Maniac" Hedgehog, Thief Extraordinaire!**_ _Single file line, please. No flash photography._

 _Our hero sits in the abode of his friend and colleague, Curtis Shephard. They are in the middle of a riveting session of hand-eye coordination exercises-'_

"Dude, watch out! Shoot the alien, man! Shoot it!"

' _Okay, they were playing video games in Curtis's living room. Scuse me if I feel like using some poetic licence every once in awhile. But ANYWAY, the Clever and Highly Skilled Maniac was totally kicking Curtis's butt and shooting aliens left and right. He went in for the final blow to the alien queen…'_

" _ **Game Over.**_ "

"Aw, WHAT?"

' _And then Curtis cheated. Probably.'_

"Aw, dude, I totally _owned_ you!" laughed Curtis. "You lost _hard_ , man!"

"Yeah, whatever.

' _Jerk.'_

I got up off the worn out couch and walked over to the kitchen. I searched around Curtis's fridge and found a can of grape soda. Popping it open, I took swig of the fizzy grape goodness. That's right, Matthews. Wash away the shame.

I drained the can and tossed it into the trash can. Grabbing another, I re-entered the living room, expecting to see Curtis starting another game. Instead he was on the phone, a serious expression on his face.

"...Right now? You sure about that?... It's legit this time, right?... I dunno, Ricky's 'hot tips' ain't always for sure. Remember the Anderson heist?... Hey man, whatever you say. ...Gotcha. We'll be right over." Curtis hung up and slipped his phone his back jeans pocket.

"What's up?" I asked.

"We gotta head over to Mitch's place. Rick got a tip off from a buddy about a potential mark."

"Is it like his last tip off?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "'Cause I've got a date this weekend, and I don't think she'll find the prison cafeteria very romantic."

"Yeah I know, but still, we'd better get on over there. He sounded pretty serious this time." He grabbed his wallet off the counter and stuck it in his pocket. I slung my knapsack over my back and we walked out of his apartment down to his beat up Camry parked on the side of the street.

 _The duo rocketed down the street at top speed. They were desperately needed at Agent Mitch's headquarters downtown. He had received word of a plan that was sure to change their lives forever…_

Curtis parked in front of a run-down beige one story. We had traveled even deeper into the ghetto neighborhoods, and all around me were piles of assorted garbage, rusty vehicles, and people I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. But all that was pretty easy to ignore; this was home, after all.

We rang the doorbell to Mitch's house and in a matter of moments it swung open. Mitch was smirking slyly, and he hurriedly shooed us inside, poking his head outside to see if we were being watched. The coast was clear, and he slammed the door, deadbolting it shut. About four or five guys sat in the front room, chatting quietly.

Okay, let me hit the pause button right here.

So here's the deal- As you probably already know, I belong to a gang, the Elise Street Strikers. And I know what you're thinking, and no, getting into a gang does not involve selling your soul to the devil. See, we deal with black market products. You know, selling folks things they couldn't find legally (no, not drugs. Sheesh.). Ferrell's got this nifty little pawn shop right in the downtown area. Sure, we've got your run-of-the-mill jewelry and busted up cars and stuff like that, but if you've got the cash and the right connections, there's some pretty good junk we can deal you.

Since I joined (it's been, what, six years now?), my job's been pretty simple: steal what they tell me to steal and try not to get killed or caught. Can't say that I've been too successful at that last bit- I've got an entire file cabinet to myself down at the station. But hey, I haven't been brutally murdered or sentenced to death row yet, so I call that an unqualified success.

Oh yeah, you're probably wondering who these guys I hang around with are. Where are my manners?

You've already met Curtis. He's twenty-one, a full five years older than me, and my best friend. He's the guy who found me on the streets and saw my potential. Curtis is pretty chill- he almost never panics or gets caught doing anything illegal. Heck, most of the times he's visited the slammer it's been my fault, as much as I hate to say it. But he forgives me. Eventually.

I learned a few of my best fighting moves from Curtis. He usually uses this splintery old wood baseball bat as his weapon of choice, which earned him the nickname 'Slugger' a couple years back during a gang fight, courtesy of yours truly. It helps that he's got a pretty good build for his age and wears a pair of brass knuckles on both fists at all times. But as scary as he can be when he's bashing in heads, he's a pretty cool guy to hang around with. And even with me being the youngest member of the gang, he never treats me like a kid.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for everyone else, especially not Gabe Larson (we call him 'Left Hook'. You can probably guess why). He's a twenty-two-year-old black and brown lynx who can take a hit but not a joke. Gabe has short, scruffy black hair with a cowlick in the back, and he has a scar across his left cheek made by an old rival. He's what I call a musclehead- one of those guys who spends every waking moment working out. Gabe's a boxer over at the gym, and one of the best fighters in the gang. He's not a bad salesman either (Ferrell mostly has him making deals at the pawn shop), but he takes everything way too seriously for my taste. Gabe thinks I'm a tagalong and a kid, even though I've covered for him more than once when he gets in a tight spot. The only reasons he hasn't tried to get me kicked out of the gang is because one, I know too much, and two, I'm the best thief these guys got. But that doesn't mean he won't won't try to sell me out someday, I can feel it.

There's one guy though that, besides Curtis, he's the only one that I know for a fact will never sell me or anyone else out. That's Mitch Davis, resident getaway car driver and one of the most loyal guys I know. Tall, lean, and blond, he's a nineteen-year-old coyote with a reputation for two things- blaring terrible surf music while breaking traffic laws and keeping things secret. I remember a couple of years ago, a rival gang of ours took Mitch hostage for a few days and tried to get him to squeal on the whereabouts of a fellow Striker member. They almost killed him trying to get him to talk, but he never said a word. I respect that. Mitch's specialty is cars. He can lift a hubcap quicker and more quietly than anyone else in the neighborhood, but he also knows cars inside out and backwards and can drive anything on wheels.

And then there's his brother Rick. He's two years older than Mitch and it shows; the dude looks about thirty. He's always got these dark circles under his bloodshot eyes and his face sags. Gonna take a shot in the dark here and guess that that _might_ have something to do with his weed addiction. For Chaos' sake, the guy can't stop smoking. I don't see how he stands the stuff. He tried to get me to try some once when I was thirteen, and I nearly barfed up my pancreas. But he's pretty slick when it comes to making heists successful- most of the time. He once set up a car theft operation that got me and four other guys thrown in the clink (I got out in three months for 'good behavior'- it took everyone else another four. Go figure).

One of those guys that got caught along with me was Tony Moretti, a twenty-one-year-old echidna and a good friend of Curtis's. Tony's got a pretty good build and dreadlocks that he keeps short and spiky, and is never without a bandana to tie around his forehead. He acts as sort of the tracker for us- meaning, he scopes out the mark and sees if it's clear to go through with the job. He's perfect at what he does because he can be the life of the party one moment, and just an average joe the next. The guy's gained more classified information than any of us, just by being in the right place at the right time. He's not a real smooth talker, though- he once tried to convince a cop not to arrest him and got an extra three and a half weeks added to his sentence. Amateur. But as dissuasive as Tony is around the officers, he's pretty sharp with the ladies.

But still, he's not even close to the skills of Randall Sanders, a twenty-year-old light gray rabbit with near-supernatural flirting capabilities. Seriously, I don't know how he does it; girls flock to him like a bug to an electric lamp. Most people call him 'Ears', seeing as, for reasons beyond even my knowledge, one of his ears is almost completely chewed off. Maybe a cat did it, maybe an overly zealous rival. It's one of life's many mysteries that I'd prefer not to know the answer to.

And I know what you're thinking- 'Is this some sort of boys-only club, or are you guys just really bad at maintaining steady relationships?'

Well, I'll thank you to keep your thoughts to yourself. Of course there's girls in the gang. I'm not gonna name all of them (they come and go mostly- but these are the ones that've stuck around the longest.).

First up is Lola Lynx. She's a real pretty dark reddish-brown lynx with these big amber eyes and long curly hair. I'd like her a lot if she didn't look like a walking makeup advertisement. But she's an okay fighter and is willing to flirt with just about anyone to help out the gang, but you'd never know it because she's the poster child for faithfulness when it comes to Gabe, her long-time boyfriend. Dunno what she sees in him, but hey, whatever.

Her best friend, Keisha Dallas, is the type of girl that gives this neighborhood a bad reputation. She's loud, she drinks, she smokes, she swears like a sailor, and her clothes should come with censor bars. The only good thing I can say about her is that she shoplifts like a pro and has scored us some pretty valuable junk over the years.

And then we have Mindy Whiskers.

 **ARRRGGH…**

Okay. Explanation time.

See, Mindy and I… we used to go out. Not super seriously, just enough to be holding hands and kissing and stuff. We were a couple.

Well, not anymore.

I blame myself. The first time I met her an alarm went off in my head, but I couldn't figure out why. Now I know- the girl's a total gold digger. The only reason she even looked at me was because she knew I could get her anything she wanted, free of charge. And when my back's turned, Betty Bimbo's off making moves on some other poor sucker. I don't know why I didn't see it from the beginning. I mean, that's kinda my thing, reading into people's motives. I can't lie, though, she is pretty attractive; she's a gray mouse with a tiny frame and curves in all the right places, and these light purple eyes and long, soft hair. But I got smart and dumped her hard. Good riddance. Besides, there's plenty of other girls in the neighborhood to date.

Is that everyone?

Okay.

Back to the meeting. Shut up, I wanna listen.

I crashed on the ratty yellow couch, leaning back with my hands jammed in my pockets and staring up at the ceiling. Hey, how'd that stain get all the way up there? Oh wait, someone's talking. Focus, Matthews.

"Ricky, what's the deal bringing us all here?" grouched Gabe, standing off in the corner, his boxing gloves slung behind his back. "I've places to be, so make this quick." A few of the other members nodded in agreement, murmuring impatiently.

Rick was leaned against the crumbling whitewashed wall, smoking a cigarette and blowing smoke rings. Chaos, I hated that smell. He took one last puff and tossed the withered cigarette onto the crusty carpet, smothering it under his foot.

"So listen," he said slowly, wringing his hands and staring around the room, his bloodshot eyes darting from side to side. "I got this buddy, Keith… he says he knows about this real rich couple that just got hitched. They got this real nice place over near 8th Avenue, big penthouse suite, full of antiques and stuff, real valuable. They're planning the honeymoon for the end of August… gonna be gone for 'bout two weeks. Keith figures he knows how to bust the burglar alarm so we can raid the place. But he says he needs three or four guys to help him out. It's big house, and Keith wants his cut of the goods 'fore we pawn 'em off. Says he's got plans for 'em."

"Woah, woah, woah- hold up," Curtis interjected. "This 'Keith' guy- is he not coming or something?"

"Well… no."

"That's it! I'm out!" said Curtis, moving to leave. "I smell a rat and I ain't falling for it. And honestly? My rap sheet is long enough as it is. I don't need another misdemeanor on my record."

"Yeah man, this don't sound right," said Ears from the other side of the couch. "You expect us to to just follow a guy we don't even know into a potential one year sentence? Nuh-uh. Not happening." I had to agree with him. Until I could meet the guy face to face, I had no idea of what to think of Keith, and I _hate_ not being in the know.

"Wait!" shouted Rick, sounding panicky. "I… I can talk to him. He'll come. I promise. He'll be there."

"Yeah? And what if he's not?" asked Curtis, crossing his arms.

"He _will_ be there. Positive."

"Good. Cause if he ain't…" piped up Tony, lighting a cigarette and popping it in his mouth, "There's gonna be trouble."

Rick nodded and assured us several more times that yes, Keith would definitely be there and it would all work out. He seemed to be reassuring himself more than us, though. Out of curiosity, I tried to read him. I've always had trouble reading him, though (must be all the smoking clouding up his brain), but I could tell that he was feeling really, really, nervous.

I shrugged it off. Come on, this was Ricky we're talking about. He's cool. Probably just had a rough day or something.

"Are we done here?" interjected Gabe sourly. The group began to break up, heading for the door or quietly continuing their conversations. I stood up and picked up my worn out black knapsack and pulled it over one shoulder, ready to get going.

"Leaving so soon, Maniac?" asked Tony.

"Yup," I replied amiably.

"Need a ride? You can crash at my place," said Curtis.

"Nah. Thought I'd sleep under the stars. It's a beautiful night."

"Whatever. Later, Matt."

"Later, Slugger."

 _ **((Recommended Song: Family of Me- Ben Folds))**_

I opened the door, heading out into the quickly fading daylight. I breathed in the warm night air as I walked down the sidewalk away from the cluster of shabby townhouses. By the time I made it to the business district the sky was pitch black, the ground illuminated only by the flickering street lights. I hadn't eaten in a few hours, so I slipped into a small convenience store and lifted a few chocolate bars. I ate well that night.

I looked up at the cloudless night sky and shivered; I would have preferred it to be cloudy- it wouldn't be as cold that way. But no matter. I pulled out my black hoodie and slipped it on, covering my bright green spines with the hood. I walked the familiar route to the city park, stepping over pieces of broken glass bottles and pieces of trash. Beneath a towering maple tree was a small park bench, where I rolled out my sleeping bag and laid down, staring up at the sky.

Oh, and if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm homeless.

Honestly, it's not that big a deal. I don't freeze (except in the winter, where I usually crash at a buddy's house), and I definitely don't starve. There's no way I'd ever try to beg for a stranger's loose change, so you don't have to worry about me approaching you on the street to ask for cash or food or whatever. I'm lucky enough and skilled enough that I haven't been forced to beg since I was ten years old and freezing on the sidewalk.

Whatever. You can keep your sympathy. I'm used to looking out for number one. Go poke that nose of yours into someone else's business.

I shifted over onto my side and yawned. Time to wrap things up.

' _Our hero relaxes on the not-particularly-comfortable park bench, unwinding after a long day of being awesome. While he should be residing in a luxury penthouse with a monkey butler and a bathroom sink that dispenses nacho cheese instead of boring tap water, you can't have everything in life.'_

I shut my heavy eyelids and felt the familiar drifting feeling of sleep.

' _We now conclude today's episode of "_ _ **The Pickpocketing Adventures of Matthews "Maniac" Hedgehog, Thief Extraordinaire.**_ _" Tune in next time for more action-packed adventures of the Brave and Charming Matthews Hedgehog.'_

Aaand… cut.

 _ **And there you have it! Liked the chapter? Please say so in the comments section!**_

 _ **-HaloEssnce111**_

 **Oceanera12: …...Well that's one way to end a chapter. Hope you enjoyed Halo! Please say if you'd like her to take the steering wheel more often. Because of such a long update time passing, I will be posting the next two chapters today. So the next chapter is either already up or about to be up. Hope y'all enjoy!**


	6. This isn't a Game It's War

**Sorry these chapter has taken a while. I'm suffering from a major geek-out withdrawal… my only Star Wars Rebels friend is out of town and I can't freak out with her over the new trailer for the next season, so… yeah. I'm sort of DYING because I'm holding in screams of pure happiness, terror and anger all at the same time. *bites lip and breathes deeply***

 **Alright, now let's see what in Chaos Robotnik is up too. Just a heads up, but I hate writing fighting scenes. I think I sort of...ruin them. And I personally don't like how this chapter turned out, so please bear with me… Much appreciated.**

Sonic's POV:

I had just settled down on the couch in front of the TV with a chili dog in one hand and the remote in the other when my wrist communicator started buzzing.

Tails was outside in the workshop, but I knew his had also started going off because the hammering that had been going on almost nonstop for the past three hours suddenly ceased.

 _Great...what's the madman up to this time?_

Over the communicator, the sound of Amy's voice came crackling, _"Rose here."_

" _Just when I was really getting into my building,"_ Tails replied also over the radio.

I rolled my eyes and held down the talk button, "It's always a bad time with you, bro. What's Robotnik up to now, General?"

I heard a small sigh from the said General, _"We're still waiting for Knuckles to respond."_

"Knowing him, he is probably asleep. We'll fill him in when he finally wakes up." I couldn't help but smirk.

" _Very well. Robotnik's forces are attacking Station Square."_

I flipped the TV over to the news and found the live coverage of the attack. Sure enough, the mad doctor's bots were terrorizing and destroying downtown Station Square...which was a little weird, seeing as it was literally a few minute's run away. Maybe Robotnik was just getting lazy or something. Speaking of him…

"Is Robotnik there?"

" _Negative. He has not yet been spotted on the scene."_

With a sigh, I shut off the TV and put my chili dog down. "I'll be back for you later." Turning my attention back to the communicator I held the talk button again. "Alright, General. We're on our way."

I didn't wait for a response, but flipped the frequency to a different channel. "Amy, you coming over here for a ride?"

" _You bet. Already out the door."_

"Tails, you have The Tornado ready?"

" _Yep. Prepped and ready to fly. The only thing I'm waiting for is-"_

I smirked and sped out of the house and into the garage, screeching to a halt next to the biplane.

"-you." Tails rolled his eyes. He was already in the cockpit and had started the engines. Literally seconds later, Amy dashed in and climbed up in the second seat.

I flipped up and stood on the wing. "Well then, what are we waiting around here for?"

"Oh brother…" Tails mumbled.

"Yes?"

* * *

The plane ride there was pretty uneventful. About a minute away from our target, Knuckles showed up out of the clouds riding his extreme-gear board. He landed on the plane's right wing with a small clank and gripped his board a little tighter than seemed necessary.

"Chaos, I hate heights…" He grumbled as he shifted closer to the cockpit.

The three of us just looked at him, very confused. Tails was the first to speak.

"Uhh… you live on a floating island, you're able to glide on air with your dreadlock thingies, and you just flew here on extreme gear."

I interrupted, "And you're telling us that you don't like heights?...Why?"

"Why are you afraid of water?" he retorted back.

Since I didn't have a good answer for that, we dropped the subject.

The first indication that Robotnik's forces were close was when a laser bolt narrowly missed my quills. The second sign was when one of those annoying buzz-bombers appeared to blow us out of the sky. I can always expect a warm welcome with Robotnik.

Amy climbed out of the cockpit as I spin-dashed at the bot and bounced back, leaving the empty shell and a flicky in the palm of her hand. It chirped its thanks and flew off.

"Well then," the pink hedgehog smiled at me, "that was a pleasant reception." Knuckles just huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Alright! We're coming closer to the ground, so get ready!" Tails called over the engine.

I smirked at him and shifted slightly closer to the edge. On the other side, Knuckles followed suit. Tails flew as close as he could to the ground and then nodded at us. I let out a whoop and leapt off the plane. Knuckles didn't really say anything, but was right behind me. He glided down to the ground while I just took the direct route and burrowed down slightly, before springing up and hitting any robot in range.

Up in the air, Tails pulled up with Amy, who had summoned her hammer, standing behind the cockpit in a ready stance. Tails started a round of target practice while Amy swung, and at some point threw her hammer at the incoming bots; Knuckles and I were on ground patrol.

I could go into detail of every robot and how we smashed it and what moves we used and... zzzzzzzzz... Sorry, just thinking about it makes me want to fall asleep. Basically we fought them, we destroyed them, right?

Well, almost. Let's just say that-

"Holy Chaos!" Knuckles commented as he smashed one of the swat-bots into several pieces. "This is a _lot_ of robots, even for Robotnik."

Up in the sky, Tails and Amy were looping around in a continuous figure eight pattern, getting rid of as many bots as possible. But no matter how many bots we smashed, there always seemed to be another to take its place. In fact, even I was getting a little tired. "Where in Chaos did Robotnik get this much metal to make all of these?" I grumbled loudly, spin-dashing into a bot's chest, sending it flying.

Tails let out a chuckle over the com-link, _"I wouldn't be surprised if he stole most of it. That would be his style. I mean-"_

" _Tails! Pay Attention!"_ Amy shrieked as more buzz-bombers closed in.

With a slight jerk, the fox yanked at the controls to avoid the laser shots. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough. A few shots managed to skim the right wing, sending the plane into a tailspin. Amy let out a shrill scream and she grabbed onto the wing to prevent herself from flying off the plane.

" _We're going down! Hang on!"_

Knuckles and I watched as The Tornado spun downwards towards the ground. My jaw clenched slightly and I started to run towards the soon-to-be crash site, but was cut off by the many crawlers and swatbots.

"Tails, I may be running a little late. Eject!"

" _We got this, Sonic! Tails, pull up!"_

" _I'm trying! We'll be fine Sonic, it's just going to be a bumpy landing! Hang on, Amy!"_

" _You keep saying that! I hate it when you say that!"_

Despite the situation, I couldn't help but smile as I spin-dashed through another row of robots. I also knew that Tails had made hundreds of emergency landings before and this one would be rougher than most, but they'd survive. But that didn't mean I liked it. I heard the loud crunching noise as the plane collided head on with the ground, probably about half a mile away. After a few moments of silence, Amy finally called in saying that they were fine, if a bit shaken.

And of course that's when Robotnik's big robot showed up.

This one...well, I wondered if Robotnik had eaten pizza with triple anchovies the night before and had a dream the night before that gave him this idea. Call me crazy, but it appeared to be a squid crossed with a scorpion.

"Hey, Knux?" I called over to the echidna as he smashed the final bot standing, "Want to take out the trash?"

He glanced over at the creature's tentacles and pincers. A small smirk spread across his face. "Why not? That thing looks like it should be put down." Without waiting another second, he launched himself at the nearest pincer, crushing it in a matter of seconds. Not to be outdone, I cut through one of the tentacles and jumped up above to get a better view of the 'creation'.

The whole thing had a bunch of electric eyes and a large beak for chomping up anything it could get close to. It's 'legs' were mostly just glorified tentacles, but there were six spindly legs that shifted slightly.

Knuckles was dealing with the last pincer (there were only two) which meant I had to keep seven other tentacles from plucking him up. This shouldn't take too long.

I was cutting through one of the last remaining tentacles with Knuckles just finishing off the pincher when suddenly-

" _Sonic! We got trou-_ _ **AAAHHHHHHH**_ _!"_ Amy's scream just seemed to echo through my mind.

My spin stalled and then stopped, allowing one of the tentacles to wrap around my arms and legs and pinning them together. I growled and attempted to free myself. "Amy!"

Knuckles also heard the scream and had stumbled slightly, but unlike me hadn't gotten trapped. Instead, he finished off the pincer by ripping the whole arm off the bot and throwing it aside, sparking and crackling.

Tails voice crackled onto the com, _"Sonic! Knuckles! Robotnik just came out of nowhere! Amy's down and-"_

The radio suddenly cut off and a large boom came from the crash site. My blood ran cold and I could feel my heart sinking to the pit of my stomach. "Tails! Answer me! _Tails!_ "

Knuckles jumped up and ripped through the tentacle that held me captive. "Focus, hedgehog. First this, then Robotnik."

I nodded, a little shakily, "R-right."

"Then let's finish off this joke of a bot." Knuckles growled.

I forced myself to push thoughts about Amy and Tails aside and focused. "You got it, Knucklehead. Together?"

He nodded and we leapt forward, spinning directly towards the heart of the machine. We cut through the metal like it was cheese and landed on the other side. Behind us, the bot sparked, then exploded.

The whole area was wrecked, but no one had been seriously injured. Knuckles and I didn't waste any time waiting around for GUN, but raced off towards the site of the plane crash. It only took a few seconds to get there, and what we found was anything but pretty. One of the wings had been completely ripped off the plane, and the rest of it was still smoking. The whole area was scattered with small patches of flames or charred vegetation. A few of Robotnik's robots laid in piles of scrap metal, but it was much less than the number I wanted to see. Amy and Tails were nowhere in sight.

"Tails! Amy!" I called out.

Knuckles wandered around the sight, searching for clues in his own guardian way. I continued to call for my friends, racing around frantically for any sign of their survival.

"Sonic! Over here!" Knuckles shouted from the other side of the plane a few minutes later.

I zipped over. "Did you find them?"

"No...but I did find this." He held up something that nearly made my heart stop.

Tails' electric data pad was snapped in half, hanging together by only a few wires- and something told me it wasn't from the crash. My hands shaking slightly, I took the pad from Knuckles, clenching my shaking fists. "If Robotnik hurt him, I swear to Chaos I'm gonna-"

I was interrupted by a small flash of light across the clearing. When it faded, Shadow and Rouge stood there, the hedgehog holding the red chaos emerald.

Rouge fluttered in the air slightly, her arms crossed. "Hey, Blue. Red. Sorry we're late. What did we mi-" she cut herself off as she looked around the clearing. "What in Chaos happened here?"

Behind her, Shadow scanned the area and paused on the burning biplane. He looked over and noted the broken data pad then made a small grunting noise. "The fox crashed again. What a surprise."

Usually, I would be in the mood to banter, but this time I was on the verge of strangling the next person stupid enough to annoy me. "Not now, Shadow."

Yeah, I know. It's a kidnapping. How many times has Robotnik kidnapped my friends and led me into a trap? I've lost track at this point. But this attack had me on edge… There was something almost... haunting about it.

Knuckles snapped me out of my thoughts, "Sonic. I found bot tracks heading east." He was crouched near the ground on the other side of the clearing.

Hovering behind him, Rouge looked over his shoulder. "Bot tracks? It looks more like a stampede of elephants. Are you sure you can tell the difference?"

"Just because I'm on a floating island does not mean I don't know how to track." Knuckles growled. "I'm a hunter too."

"Whatever, Red."

I ignored the two and knelt down next to Knuckles, examining the ground. The way the grass was crushed _did_ look like a swatbot's feet.

"Alright, let's go."

The four of us began to follow the trail.

* * *

Shadow was the first to say something, which would have been strange if I hadn't been so stressed out to actually talk. "This is obviously a trap."

Rogue shrugged. "Of course it is. Even my old, blind grandmother could see that."

"Do you have a grandmother?" Knuckles questioned. The only reply was her death glare at him.

Of course it was a trap. The guards were a pathetic few and all the lights were shut off. If that didn't say 'incoming trap' than I didn't know what did.

"Alright, here's the plan. Knuckles and Rouge, you distract the guards while Shadow and I figure out where in Chaos Robotnik is holding Tails and Amy."

Knuckles gave me one of his 'I hate you' looks, but Rouge looked a bit smug about the situation. "Just try and keep up with me, Red."

"Don't get too close, Bat."

"Well, _now_ I'm offended. Don't you ever show respect to a lady?"

"Lady? I don't see any la-"

I cut him off before Rouge got angry. "Just try not to kill each other, got it?" The two nodded and skidded down the mountain towards Robotnik's factory.

Shadow and I started to take the longer (but stealthier) path, entering the back way. It was only a few minutes later we heard the explosions and laser shots from the ensuing fight.

"Why did we not just charge through the front? I thought you liked the direct approach, hedgehog." Shadow asked slightly puzzled.

I could understand his confusion. "Normally, I would. But with Amy _and_ Tails at risk, I-"

"Sonic, they have been kidnapped before. There has been little to no risk. What makes you think that this will be any different?"

Slowly, I came to a stop behind a tree, and scanned for any hidden buzz-bombers. "I just… I just got a bad feeling. Call it what you will, but this attack _wasn't_ normal."

"What are you talking about?"

"For one, Robotnik never showed up with his giant robot to brag about his newest design. Another thing is that he's taken Amy before. He's taken Tails. But both of them together? Usually, he'd leave one behind with some kind of cryptic message." I paused and closed my eyes, trying to calm my nerves. "Trust me, Shads. I've been doing this since I was ten. I know Robotnik's plans. I know his style. This isn't normal."

We moved closer to the base and ducked a small patrol. Shadow raised an eyebrow, "Then what do you suppose his plan is?"

I poked my head up from behind the rock and looked at the completely unguarded and unlocked backdoor. "Nothing good… someone getting kidnapped by Robotnik always gets me on edge, but this… this is something I've seen before. And it's something that I don't want to experience ever again."

Shadow's frown deepened, then he vanished. A little confused I looked around; the ebony hedgehog was nowhere in sight. As suddenly as he had vanished, the back door pretty much exploded off its hinges. When the dust cleared, Shadow was standing in the building, arms crossed and glaring in my direction.

I smirked and started to waltz over, "Whatcha doing over there, Shads?"

"Could you stop calling me that, hedgehog?"

"Whatever… faker."

"We are _not_ doing this right now."

I shrugged, "Maybe. Or maybe not. Ready, set, go!" Without waiting to see if he'd follow, I zipped off into Robotnik's base. Honestly, I don't think he even tried, but just stayed in pace with me the whole time. Killjoy. Then again, he is Shadow. While we 'raced', I tried to keep my heart steady and not panic. Running helped calm me down a little, but… I just couldn't keep the fear from creeping into my thoughts. What if this was like last time? _ *****_ What if he tried to do the same thing to Amy?

We burst into the main headquarters with only three scantily-armed guards to deal with… meaning that Robotnik hadn't improved on his trap making abilities. Let's just make a giant neon sign that just said, "Welcome to your doom! Please wipe your feet!"

Honestly, I could never understand what was going on in the madman's head. Then again, he is a madman. I'm getting off subject again, aren't I? No surprise there. I really don't like this next part.

* * *

Robotnik was sitting at his grand console or whatever he called it, having one of his evil laugh sessions when Shadow and I burst in the room.

"Mwa, ha, ha, ha, ha!" he cackled, turning around in his chair to face us. "How did you get in here?"

I pointed to the blown off door. "You left the back door unlocked. Seriously, you're getting sloppy."

Shadow didn't seem interested in the conversation, but stayed a few paces behind me, arms crossed and eyes ahead.

"Well," Robotnik frowned slightly, "I wasn't expecting _him_ to be here. Shadow, you were not on any of my robot's scans during my attack on the city. Nor was your batty friend out front destroying my troops." He gestured to one of the video cameras that showed Knuckles and Rouge having some fun with robots.

"We invited ourselves, Doctor." Shadow replied.

I decided to cut the chit chat. "Where are Tails and Amy? _Now._ "

"My, my, someone's certainly in a rush," the man chuckled.

My blood boiled. "Robotnik, I swear-"

"No need for that. The little fox is on the west side of the base while your pink friend is on the east side." He flipped a switch and two holo-screens appeared floating in the air above Robotnik facing us.

Shadow made a small grunting sound, "Why do I sense a challenge…?"

"Aren't you a smart boy, Shadow?"

The ebony hedgehog growled softly, making me think it was a good time to step in.

"What's the challenge, Robotnik?"

"Simple. Tails is sitting in a glass orb that is surrounded by about twenty feet of water on all sides. The water is twenty feet deep."

 _Great…_

Robotnik smirked, his yellowed teeth showing slightly beneath his curled lip. "Fun fact: That orb your little friend is being held in? I took the liberty of lining it with a combination of copper wire and a set of electric output devices of my own design, programmed to fill the orb with an electric current of approximately ten thousand volts. I believe your little friend will find it quite, hmm... _shocking._ "

… And now we're adding in Tails' worst fear. This just got personal. "Let him go, Robotnik!" I growled.

"Oh, but my dear Sonic, we're just getting warmed up," he cackled. "Sweet, darling Amy is on the other side of the building, where you'll find her strapped down with twenty separate laser guns pointed at her in every direction. You'll find that simply- what do you call it?- 'spin-dashing' at them won't do you much good. I plated each with a chromium steel alloy. It will take you far too long to destroy each before they destroy your lady love."

I was about to open my mouth in contradiction when he interrupted me.

"But wait, there's more!" he added gleefully. "To add to the fun, I'm throwing in a special helper of mine to play with you before you can reach your friend! You will have precisely three minutes before detonation to save your friend. Yes, I said 'friend'. As in 'singular'. Three minutes, rodent, and then..." he paused and smirked, "... _ **boom**_."

I stared up at the doctor, feeling the smirk slide off my face, being replaced by a mix of horror and fury. "You sick, low-down, Chaos-"

"You forget, Doctor." Shadow stepped forward, "That Sonic is not alone."

Robotnik made a face. "Yes, unfortunately. So the question isn't which one will you save… but which person do you trust Shadow to save?" He smirked and pressed a button on his console. "Run fast, Sonic. Clock's ticking!"

Of course the madman had an escape pod built into his console. And of course just as he was starting to escape, that blasted timer started. _3:00… 2:59..._

My mind was racing. _Three minutes… Oh Chaos, who do I go after?_

"I'll take Miles, you get Rose."

My mind snapped into focus. "Woah, wait a minute-"

"That is the best option. You cannot avoid the water, but I can." He looked me in the eyes, steady and sure. "I promise that I will get to him in time. Trust me."

At first, I hesitated. I mean, come on, Tails was my brother. I didn't want to put his safety in someone else's hands. But Shadow did make a fair point. Note to self- get a pair of hover shoes. "Alright, but Shadow, if he's harmed-"

"We are wasting time. Get going." Shadow ran off towards where Tails was being held.

I glanced at the time and muttered under my breath. "Chaos." Twenty seconds had already passed.

Time to go save Amy.

* * *

First off, Eggman's squad. They seriously took about thirty seconds. Robotnik's 'best troops' seemed a bit…easy.

But the fact that it was easy allowed me to actually think for a second. Never had Robotnik done anything like this. Yes, he had kidnapped my teammates before. Yes, he had threatened and attempted to kill us before. But… I don't know. Most of the situations were simple to escape from and most of them hadn't involved a choice. Over the last six years of fighting this guy, I noticed something kind of odd. The first time I showed up to stop Robotnik, he seemed angry that I was destroying everything, but after a little while, he seemed to enjoy our battles (even though I won 95% of the time). He seemed to find pleasure in throwing his robots at me and seeing how it played out. In fact, I remember that on our one year 'anniversary', the guy had actually invited me over for a slice of cake (non-lethal poison, surprisingly enough). We had a nice conversation (using that term _very_ lightly here) for about two hours, and then he tried to kill me. Didn't blame him, really...in fact, I would have disappointed if he hadn't. Then after two years, he seemed to get bored again and increased his efforts to completely and utterly destroy me. In a sudden turn of events, Tails showed up and started fighting him alongside me. I think the fact that he was only seven years old but knew how to beat a security system and where to deactivate a rampaging robot made the whole experience fun again. So it went back to 'fighting for fun'. Then Knuckles showed up, followed closely by Amy, increasing the excitement and the number of enemies. Add in the shifting alliances of Rouge, Omega and Shadow, and we had a regular party. But they joined GUN just about two years earlier and the routine had come back into play. With this kidnapping and choosing between two friends, something told me Robotnik was bored again. He needed a change in routine. A _**major**_ change.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I realized that the bots were destroyed. _Where the heck was Robotnik's 'special helper'?_ I sped up to a locked door and still hadn't run into whatever it was. "Maybe he was bluffing…?" I mumbled to myself.

With a shrug, I drilled through the door. The dumb thing was probably on the other side. Wrong. Instead I found-

"Sonic! What are you doing? Go after Tails!" Amy was strapped down on a slanted metal table with welded metal pins strapped around her wrists, ankles, neck and stomach. She looked terrified, but I could see the relief in her eyes. A digital clock on the side of the wall read _2:15… 2:14… 2:13._ Just above her were metal plated and jointed laser guns, all aimed directly for her chest. No way was I going to cut through all those in time.

I ran to her side and started to try and get the rings off. "Tails is fine… I hope. Shadow's going after him." I put my fingers under one of the rings and started to pull at it. "And how did you know that this was a contest?"

"Robotnik told the both of us. But he never mentioned Shadow being here." She looked over to her right. "Hurry! You only have two minutes left!"

"Chaos, I hate cutting these things so close!" I grunted and finally realized that pulling wasn't going to work. "I need a laser or a metal cutter or-"

"Sonic! Behind you!"

I yelped and dove as a laser shot came out of nowhere. Who was the 'special helper'? Yet another version of Metal Sonic bent on turning me into burger meat. What was with Robotnik and building cheap robotic copies of me?

This Metal was the normal color pattern (blue, gray, gold, you get it) and of course had its creepy glowing red eyes. Its hands were clawed and had some sort of laser repulsor inlaid in the palms. And of course the lame rocket boosters on the back to help move at 'top speed' were there too.

Amy let out another cry of warning as Metal charged again. I smirked and avoided his attack, jumping up and spin-dashing directly into his chest. Unfortunately, Robotnik seemed to have hardened his shell a little since our last meeting. Metal grabbed my leg and slammed me into the metal plated wall. I moaned in pain slightly. "Ugh… Geez, since when could you-"

Metal interrupted me by pinning me up against the same exact wall that he threw me at.

"Okay… no messing around this time." I gritted my teeth and struggled to free myself from its grip.

On the table, Amy was still struggling in her bounds. "Sonic!"

"Little busy here, Ames. Try summoning your hammer and-" Metal tightened his grip slightly, making it a little harder to breath. I grabbed at his arm and grunted. "What- is it- with you- and chok- *gasp* -ing me?" I managed to question.

Metal didn't answer but squeezed even tighter. Man, this was all business today. Whatever happened to a battle for fun?

"Sonic…!" Amy cried out in a slight panic. Her hammer was in her hand, but the way she was strapped down, it was completely useless. But her eyes weren't on her hammer, but on the ticking clock.

I glanced over and felt my blood go ice cold. _Oh Chaos… thirty seconds until-_

No. I couldn't think about that.

"Hang on!" I glared at Metal and tried to clear my mind of the ticking clock. At the speed of sound, thirty seconds is nothing. I could do this. I glared at Metal and tightened my grip on his wrist. "This is going to hurt you a lot more than it's going to hurt me." I took my left hand and placed it on Metal's locked elbow.

Struggling, I managed to wiggle into the right spot and swung my foot up at the upper arm, twisting my hands in the same general direction. There was a large snapping noise as Metal's right arm and I went tumbling away. I landed in a crouch and pounced back at Metal. The two of us rolled across the floor, trying to overpower the other. I swung the robot against the wall, Metal sparking slightly.

Amy let out another shriek and I zipped over to her. "Hang on a second, I'll have you out in a jiff."

"Fifteen seconds! Sonic, _get me out of here!_ " Amy made a sound that seemed to be a cross of a growl and a whimper.

I shook my head and tried to pry off the metal rings again, but it was still too strong. Although that makes sense that it hadn't changed a bit, since I hadn't attacked it or anything.

The sound of the laser gun's humming and warming up filled my ears and I started struggling again, trying to blink the tears back. Amy couldn't die… I couldn't do that. All of these thoughts seemed to zoom through me at Sonic speed.

Amy struggled with me, "Sonic! I need to tell you something!"

 _Twelve seconds._

"Not, now Amy! Hold on!"

"Sonic! It's important. Forget about the lasers and Metal for a second!"

"Don't you get it? _**We don't have a second!**_ "

 _Eight seconds._

I had a brief flash of inspiration. I grabbed the Metal's torn-off limb and examined its claws. They'd have to do.

 _Five seconds._

Moving as fast as humanly possible, I cut the bands that held Amy's arms and stomach down with Metal's sharpened claws.

"Sonic! I need to tell you-!" Amy had silent tears streaming down her face, her eyes squeezed shut.

 _Three..._

I practically ripped the last two restraints off of her ankles. Throwing the arm aside, I yanked Amy roughly off the table, sweeping her into my arms.

 _Two…_

Time seemed to shift into slow motion. I pressed Amy against me, using myself as a shield, and braced myself for the oncoming impact.

 _One._

It sounded as if someone detonated a grenade right next to my ear. Clouds of burning smoke and the scent of melting metal filled my senses along with a giant flash of red light. I could feel the vibrations of Amy's scream, but I couldn't hear a thing.

Not sure how long we stood there. Could've been minutes. Could've been hours. I just know that my limbs seemed to be frozen and I couldn't stop shaking. I held Amy in my arms, gripping her tightly. I didn't want to move at all, and something told me that Amy felt the same way.

Finally, the strength and will to get up returned. The table that Amy had been chained to was nothing but a pile of blown apart scrap metal, fused together from the heat of the lasers. With a thought of what it could have done to Amy, I suddenly felt nauseous. Without a word, I scooped the pink hedgehog up into my arms and sped out of the room.

* * *

Knuckles and Rouge were standing the in the middle of a large pile of broken robots, arguing about something or other. I completely ignored them, but put Amy down. I couldn't see Tails or Shadow, making my already pounding heart pick up even faster. I rushed over to Knuckles and grabbed him by his shoulders.

" _Where. Is._ _ **Tails**_ _?_ " I practically shouted, spinning him around to face me and shaking him till his teeth chattered. Knuckles was so taken aback that he didn't even try to stop me.

"Relax, hedgehog."

I whirled around and found Shadow standing behind the young yellow fox. Tails was a little roughed up, but at least he was standing on his feet.

"Tails!" I ran forward and wrapped my arms around him tight. "Oh, thank Chaos!"

My brother returned the gesture quite eagerly. "Sonic!" He was shaking slightly, but had this big grin on his face.

After a few moments, I finally released him and turned towards the ebony hedgehog. "Thank you." I said seriously, meaning it with all my heart. Shadow simply nodded and motioned at Rouge to follow him.

"A-are you… are you alright?"

I jumped at the sound of Amy's voice. It was the first time she had spoken since the explosion.

Tails smiled warmly. "I'm fine, thanks. How are you?"

She hesitated, "...Fine."

"Great." I nodded and motioned for everyone to follow, "We should get going. This day has had _way_ too much excitement already and I really don't think I can handle another squad of Robotnik's attack bots."

As we walked home (and it was a long walk), my mind tried to calm down from the experience. I had almost lost not one, but two of my best friends. One who was my adopted brother and the other… well, she was a very, _very_ good friend.

Robotnik wasn't playing around anymore. This wasn't a friendly rivalry anymore. It wasn't a game. It wasn't entertaining himself with our battles out of boredom.

 _This was war._

 **(** _ *****_ **Reference to fanfiction Miles from Home: Chapters 21-26)**

 **Another Sonic chapter, yay! I guess I should have warned y'all but most of Sonic's chapters, at least at the beginning, are going to have a one-shot kind of feel. These chapters are just sort of building up Sonic's relationships with everyone and show what Robotnik is up too. Next Sonic chapter will build off this, so if it seems incomplete...that's because it is.**

 **I know I completely butchered Shadow and wrote him pretty OOC. I'm so sorry, and please believe me when I say that I try my best to keep him...well him. I am so sorry. Shadow is really hard for me to write correctly.**

 **Also, how do you like my version of Sonic? I know it's not the most accurate Sonic you've ever seen, but I wanted to see more of that side of him that is never shown on camera. Sort of more...human. Or hedgehog. Or whatever. Basically, someone who isn't always cool with everything and actually has feelings.**

 **For another point: you may have noticed that I have only been using the name Robotnik. Well Eggman never shows up in this story. It's always Robo-man in this story. Why is it that way? One reason is so we don't have that whole, 'is Robotnik and Eggman the same person or different people?' I'll answer that right now:** _ **They are different people in this story**_ **. The second reason… well, that was what my co-writer and I finally agreed on. And thirdly: if we had brought in the name Eggman, Halo would never let me type the nickname, 'Egghead', so it takes the fun out of everything.**

 **This is turning into a really long author's note… sorry, but I still have one more point I need to touch on. Knuckles is afraid of heights… this is a personal headcanon of mine, which I know makes no sense at all. Let me explain: in every story I ever write, whether it's fanfiction or an actual work of fiction I have someone who is afraid of heights. Why? Well… I'm scared of heights so it's kind of fun to write about a personal fear of mine. So when I started typing 'Miles from Home', I realized that I didn't have anyone with that fear. My brain started to scramble and the first person who popped in my head was Knuckles. This is amusing and also ironic, as Knuckles can 'fly' and lives on a floating island. So he isn't exactly controlled by his fear, but I'm thinking he doesn't like step ladders because it's too short to get any lift on his...quill things. So we may have a few funny moments with Knuckles.**

 **Anywho, hope y'all enjoyed! Review!**


	7. Westopolis 'Dodger'

**Hey y'all! Miss me? Sonia's up! But first…**

 **Comments!**

 **Zosonils: Really? Well I'm very glad you think that. Because every single time I sit down to write action scenes, I dread it so much… Not sure why. So many people tell me I do a good job at them, but hey. Hardest person to please is yourself, right? Sonic, Sonia, and Manic are not going to meet for quite a while...sorry to disappoint. There's a bunch of backstory and things to get out in stone and clear up. Blaze is afraid of heights? Huh… I never knew that. Cool! Glad you like Sonic. (and I like how you write Sonic as well. Doing really good job on 'Tales of Origin'.) Thanks for the review!**

 **juancastri11: I'm glad you think that. Did you enjoy Manic?**

 **Quantum27: edgy...but no personality? I think that's the first time I have heard that description. I usually just think: no contractions, dead serious all the time, hates nicknames, and pretends to not care but actually does. (; It works about 90% of the time… I hate heights, but I am also scared of the fall, not the actual height. Hate airplanes because of it...also zip lines, stepladders, footstools...you get the idea. I'm thinking Knuckles will be the same. Can't wait to write that. Not sure about the whole 'Robotnik's son'... Definitely not that horrid alien thing from Archie comics. We'll see.**

 **Autumn: Glad to see you're alive! I'm so happy you are enjoying the story.**

 **What in Chaos is Sofia up too right now? We have not one, but two fight scenes up ahead… yay. (That was sarcastic.) Well get ready for some more action and a new side of Sonia that you haven't seen yet. Hold onto your hats! This is going to get crazy.**

 **Action!**

 **Recommended Song:** _ **She's So Gone**_ **by Naomi Scott**

Sofia's POV:

It took a week for me to reach my destination: Westopolis. Why Westopolis? Well… I just had a funny feeling that my brother had been- or was- here at this city.

Also, I needed a break from the bus. I mean, one can only stand sleeping in a chair for so long. I required at least one night of sleep in a literal bed and no one was going to take that from me.

So with very little reluctance, I managed to snag a cheap motel room for the night. True, the bed probably wasn't the cleanest and I didn't want to know what the stain on the carpet was from, but… Oh, who am I kidding, it was the most vile room I'd ever stepped foot in, let alone _slept_ in.

With a small sigh, I put my bags on top of the dusty comforter. If someone had walked in, the look on my face would have probably chased them out in a second. It took all my strength to not throw up.

 _When I find Manic, I'm going to kill him_ _for putting me through this..._

With that happy thought, I quickly got ready for bed and fell into a semi-restless sleep (I first dropped by a store and bought a clean blanket to sleep with. You couldn't pay me to sleep on those filthy sheets.)

* * *

First stop on my personal tour of Westopolis: the police station. And boy, was it busy.

Officers were marching around with paperwork in hand, scrambling to meet their deadlines. A small squadron of men and Mobians rushed out the front door to some squad cars and the sounds of the sirens were soon heard as they drove to answer a call. The sound of a man's infuriated shout could be heard from deep in the station as he tried to be heard over the bustle of people.

But my focus was on the front desk. A mole Mobian was on the phone speaking with a concerned citizen and a small rabbit was busy typing away on a laptop.

"Um… Excuse me, I-"

"Look, Miss Rivers, this is the third time you have called about your neighbors across the hall this week alone. And as I have said before-"

I mentally ignored the mole and turned to the rabbit, "Excuse me, but I-"

She held up a hand and picked up a radio. "Bobby, come deal with a visitor at the front desk." She motioned for me to sit down on one of the chairs near the door. "Wait here."

 _Well, this place certainly needs a lesson in customer service._ I thought a bit disgruntled.

Five minutes later, a spotted dog with a clean uniform and a tired smile on his face came out from the back. Unlike most of the other officers in this station, he looked rather friendly and his face seemed to brighten slightly at the sight of me. He tipped his hat to me slightly, "Morning, Miss. I'm Officer Bobby Spot, at your service." He spoke with a heavy accent. "And your name is…?"

"Sofia. Sofia Hedgehog." I allowed a small smile to twitch to life.

Officer Spot leaned a little closer and lowered his voice. "Sorry about Barbara and Phil. I honestly don't know how they got their jobs, let alone keep them."

My smile grew. "So it's not just me that they're rude to? That's a relief." I said sarcastically. Bobby chuckled and asked me what he could do for me.

"I'm looking for my brother. Do you have any records of a 'Manic Hedgehog' on file?" I asked as politely as I could.

Bobby gave a small frown. "I'll have to look and see. How long ago was this?"

"The last time I saw him was about six years ago."

"Mmm… follow me." He waved his hand in a 'this way' gesture. A bit timidly, I trailed after him deeper into the station. We didn't walk long until Bobby stopped at a door. He unlocked it with one of the keys on his chain and creaked it open, showing me into the room.

The whole room was enormous metal file cabinets. And I mean the _whole_ room. Every wall was lined and stuffed with cabinet after cabinet. In the center of the room were a few short rows of cabinets and a small desk for reading the actual files.

"What did you say his name was?" asked Officer Spot as he started riffling through the files.

"Manic." I said, then re-thought my answer. "Well, um… this might sound weird, but I don't actually know what name he goes by these days. Either Manic or Matthews. Matthews Hedgehog."

The dog froze at those words, stooped over a cabinet. "...Matthews?"

"Um…" I frowned slightly, not exactly sure how I felt about his tone. "...Yes?"

Without another word, he walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a drawer. Out came one of the thickest folders I'd ever seen in my life. He placed it on the table and opened it. "Is this him?"

In confused shock I stared down at a mug shot of my brother, a little older than when he left the house. He looked a little nervous, but had this big goofy grin on his face like he wouldn't want to be anywhere else. His bright blue eyes still shone with that familiar glint of mischief and the dark gray hoodie he wore was threadbare and torn.

"Y-yes. This is him." My hands shook slightly. This was almost too good- or bad- to be true. After only a week of searching, I already had a lead. Unfortunately, that lead was looking very, very, bad. "He was arrested?"

Bobby snorted, shaking with laughter. "You have no idea. I don't think I've seen my _wife_ as often as I saw him back then." He motioned for me to sit down in a folding chair. "That kid had a nose for trouble."

"A-are you sure you're not exaggerating?" I asked, my voice rising a pitch.

The officer sat down across from me and pushed Matthew's file towards me. "Well, at first, it was just little crimes. Stealing purses, wallets, you know. Then he started getting into bigger things- cons, burglaries, and of course some… violent incidents. Add that to his gang activity and-"

"He's part of a _gang?_ " I shrieked, banging my fists on the table. So help me, I was going to _**kill**_ that brother of mine if it was the last thing I ever did.

Bobby shrugged. "He's a good kid… most of the time. Actually, he hasn't been in the station for almost two years for a single crime. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him at all. Last time he came to visit, he said something about cleaning up his act, going straight." I perked up slightly at this.

"Come to think it, though... I haven't seen any of these gang members. Mmm…"

I interrupted his thoughts, "Do you know where they hanged out?"

"Whoa, little missy. Gang territory is not a safe place for a young lady like you."

My frown turned into a scowl. "I can take care of myself."

Bobby frowned. "Well Miss Sofia. I suggest that if you'd like to find your brother wait until he pokes his head up. I can search the database if you'd like. Maybe he actually enrolled in a school or something."

I knew my brother. And there was no way that he just suddenly went cold turkey, unless he got a life-threat. But something told me that Officer Spot wasn't going to be much help anymore. I scanned down Manic's file again.

 _Name: Matthews 'Maniac' Hedgehog_

 _Previously guilty of: Robbery, burglary, gleeful mayhem, vandalism, transporting illegal goods, auto theft, etc._

 _Age at last arrest: 14_

 _Affiliations: Fifth Street Strikers_

Bingo. Putting on a show of annoyance, I gave the file back to him. "Alright Officer, I think I've taken up quite enough of your time. Thank you for showing me this."

"Would you like to leave your number so I can contact you if Matthews ever shows up again?"

Deciding it couldn't hurt, I filled out the 'relations' slip for Manic's file and added in my contact information. About thirty minutes later, I exited the building, determined to never enter it again.

* * *

Fifth Street wasn't too hard to find. It was in one of the worst parts of town, with the run down businesses and homeless people scattered on the sidewalks begging for money. Yep. Gang country if I ever saw it. I put my hand in my purse and fingered my 'tool' as my self defense teacher called it and the handgun Uncle Chuck had given me. One can never too careful.

" _First self-defense, then violence,"_ I thought to myself. I gripped the eight inch metal rod and continued to walk.

Unfortunately, someone else decided I looked interesting. A tall, wiry teenage boy was walking down the street directly behind me. When he got about four steps away, I felt one of my intuition warnings and swung around, gripping my purse tightly. The teenager stumbled forward as he snatched up air where my purse had been only seconds before. Before he could walk away, I swung my purse around and struck him in the back, recoiling my purse to ready another blow.

"Don't you know it's not right to steal!" I shouted, clouting him in the head.

My purse must have been heavier than I thought, because the dude went sprawling on the asphalt, rubbing the back of his head and scrambling to get up.

"Great job, Slip-Up!"

I whirled around to face two more guys; one was a tiger, the other some sort of bird.

'Slip-Up', stood up and dusted himself off. "It wasn't me! It was all her! Honest, Tiger!"

The tiger growled in disgust. His grip tightened on a metal baton that looked police issued. I'd have to watch out for that.

Backing away as slowly as I could, the three continued their conversation.

"Oh, yeah, sure it was. You're always messing up! Just grab her chaos-frickin purse and run!" the bird squawked in annoyance as he tapped the belt hilt that had a knife sheathed. _Also watch out for that._

"No really, Davy, she seemed to _know-_ "

The tiger caught sight of me shuffling away and motioned for his buddies to take notice. "Hey sweetheart, where do you think you're going?"

My heart started to pound slightly and my brain scrambled for something to say. "...What kind of name, is 'Slip-Up'?" Wow...just wow, Sonia.

Tiger seemed a little taken back, but shrugged it aside, "Ya must be new to this town. See, anyone can get stuck with a nickname for something they do or did. 'Slip-Up' here is famous for well… ya get the point. Now how about you hand over your purse, gorgeous?"

Oh yes, I'll just give that idiot my purse with all of my money inside it. That's totally happening. "Uh, yeah, I'm gonna go with _no_ , but thanks for the offer."

"Oh, sorry hon, forgot to mention- you don't exactly have a choice." Tiger smirked as he flicked open the night stick.

The streets may be filled with people, but something told me no one was going to help me. So I did the next best thing. I grabbed my lovely self-defense tool and cleared my mind, ready for the wave of intuition to come. And come it did.

I ducked down as the cat swung at me. Then I took the tool in my hand and wrapped my hand around the guy's wrist, holding the metal rod so that it pressed against the back of his wrist. Shooting straight up, I swung his arm around, flipping him over onto his back. With no time to celebrate, I whirled around and hit the bird in the Adam's apple as hard as I could with the rod. He stumbled back, hacking and choking. The last guy tried to take a swing at me. I dodged out of the way, and then gave him a good hard kick in the stomach.

All three guys stared at me hesitantly, standing up and cradling their injuries. Tiger had an indecisive look in his eye and I decided to play my final card. "You _do_ know I have a gun, right?" I said coyly.

At this, the three of them exchanged looks, then bolted.

I rolled my eyes and continued walking down the sidewalk.

The most decent-looking establishment in the area (and believe me, that wasn't saying much) was a shabby pawn shop with an old sign that read, _Gold Striker's Pawn._

 _Striker? Seriously?_

I walked in, jingling the bell lightly as the door opened. The only person inside was an older weasel who looked about his late twenties. He had a scruffy goatee and a worn out tee shirt. He sat behind the cash register, extremely bored. When the bell jingled, he jumped in his seat and looked at me, the anxiety obvious on his face. Then when he actually processed who I was, he calmed down, settling back into his old boredom.

"Um… hi." I gave a small wave and smiled.

His expression grew hard and he made a motion that clearly said, _"Buy something or get out. Don't talk to me."_

Well, unfortunately for him I wasn't interested in the merchandise. "Excuse me? I need some information about something."

The man raised an eyebrow. "...What kind of information?"

"It's about the whereabouts of someone who…" I paused and decided to make this a little more interesting. The weasel obviously was one of those low-life crooks who wouldn't talk to me unless he thought I was a fellow low-life. That would be hard to pull off, though, so I said the first thing that came to mind. "…owes me money." Hey, technically it was true. I still remember that ten dollars he stole from my piggy bank the night he ran away.

Now the weasel looked interested in me. "Well ma'am, ya came to the right place. Philip Shade, at your service… for a price, that is."

Oh, so _that's_ how he wanted to play it. Well, let's see how this works out.

"Who are you looking for?" he asked, a smirk on his face.

"He's a hedgehog who goes by the name of Matthews, should be about sixteen years old by now. Green quills, blue eyes. You know him?"

The smirk slid off his face. "Uh... sorry ma'am, but I can't help you."

"Can't or won't?" I growled. Hey, if I was going to be a crook, then I might as well play the part.

"Both." Philip glared at me. "Now get outta here before I call in the boys to show you the door."

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Time to get the weasel to pop. I slammed my fist on the counter and leaned forward. "Listen pal, I'm not playing around. And I ain't leaving until I get some serious answers. You _obviously_ know who I'm talking about and _you_. _Won't. **Tell me!**_ Now _spill_ , before I do something we'll both regret." I said, gritting my teeth and scowling. His face turning redder by the minute, the rodent slowly reached under the counter. How easy was he trying to make this? Even if I weren't psychic, I would've seen this coming.

"Uh, uh, uh! That's not nice." My hand shot out, grabbing his wrist and yanking it towards me, revealing the pistol that the man had been preparing to shoot at me. I tightened my grip and twisted his arm painfully, forcing the weasel drop the weapon. "Where. Is. _Maniac_?" Might as well add in his gang name for an extra boost.

Philip's eyes grew wide with terror, but he shook his head. Very annoyed and getting angrier, I flipped him over the counter onto the ground next to me, pressing my boot down hard on his chest.

Now I was getting freaked out at my violent behavior, but I guess part of the reason was that I was so used to keeping my anger inside, I just needed to let it out. I could never bring myself to yell at my Uncle no matter how much I wanted to, but honestly? I could care less about this yahoo.

Philip struggled slightly, but then I saw a flicker in his eyes. Almost a look of triumph. I frowned and let my instincts take over.

I rolled to the right and the fist that was meant for me hit Philip squarely in the nose. The weasel squealed in pain as blood spurted out of his nostrils.

But I was too busy looking at my two next opponents to notice or care. Unlike Philip, they were definitely not wimpy little weaklings. Both were wolves that looked like they worked out all day; both held shotguns.

Alright… freaky psychic powers that I can't explain, don't fail me now. I jumped up and kicked one in the face a split second before the first wolf dived at my feet. He skidded onto the floor face first and I rolled across the ground, stood up, and stayed crouching as the other attempted to swing at where he thought my head would have been. I whirled my legs around and knocked him to the ground, his gun clattering out of reach. Without missing a beat, I turned around and lifted up to punch the first guy in the face and flipped backwards to avoid the leg sweep the second one tried to do. I managed to land on the fallen gun and picked it up, pointing it at both of the wolves and the weasel who was still holding his nose and moaning.

The first wolf still had his gun, but looked a little hesitant to use it. Unfortunately, Philip didn't feel the same way. He yanked the gun out of the wolf's hands and pointed it at me. "You little-"

I dropped my gun and dove to the right, avoiding the bullet by a mere inch. Then I rolled to the left, crouched, and sprang up, doing a backflip. Two more bullets narrowly missed me. I hit the ground in a plank position and crouched down, then threw my whole body up, spinning. Again, the bullets missed. I rolled forward, dove slightly to the left and straight into Philip, yanking the now empty gun out of his hands. The last bullets had been wasted on empty air.

All three stared at me, a mix of horror and awed wonder on their faces.

Philip had his mouth gaping over and pointed at me, then at the empty gun, stammering, "You- bullets- missed- wha...?"

I sauntered over to him, smirking maliciously. "I have that effect on people, sweetie. Get used to it."

One of the wolves whispered to the other, "Dodger…"

I grabbed him by his shirt collar and pulled him close to my face. Slipping my hand into my purse, I pulled out my metal rod and whirled around, keeping a firm grip on the weasel. "Where. _Is_.-" I paused to jam my rod into the ribs of the second wolf who was about to try and punch me from behind. He yelped out in pain, and I repeated the process until he backed away. **_"...Maniac?"_**

The two wolves seemed to be debating if they should get involved again. I think I sealed their decision when I pulled out my handgun and pointed it at them. "Out. Now."

The two ran. I turned my attention back to Philip, narrowing my eyes to slits and baring my teeth.

"Start talking." I hissed.

"Uh…" said Philip, his eyes darting around frantically. I pointed the gun at him and cocked it slightly. His eyes grew wide.

"Maniacisn'theretheganghadtoleavetwoyearsagobecauseoneofthemembersmessedupand-"

I cut him off and growled, "Slow down. I speak english, not gibberish."

Philip took a deep breath and started again. "Most of the gang relocated to Station Square 'cause one of the members messed up and everyone got in really huge trouble with the cops and a few rival gangs. So they left and left me here to run this place until they got the whole shop set up again in Station Square. Don't point that thing at me!"

I smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Philip." Without waiting for a response, I threw him back against the counter and slipped my gun back in my purse.

As I turned to leave, Philip mumbled under his breath, "Who… who the Chaos are you?"

My hand paused on the door handle, "That is none of your business."

"Please, please, don't tell Maniac I told you where he was." The poor weasel was on his knees, begging for mercy.

"If you don't tell him that I'm coming, then I won't tell him that you told me. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, Dodger, whatever you say."

My eyes snapped over to him. "Dodger?"

He put his hands up, "Not my idea, it was Freddy's. You dodged eight bullets in five seconds. How did you-?"

I didn't wait to hear him finish, but left the store. News must spread scary-fast around here, because as I walked down the street, all of those guys who previously looked like they were going to steal my purse, shrunk away and averted their gaze. I smiled to myself.

I could get used to this.

* * *

The next day, I decided I didn't want to stay in this town any longer. Already some gangsters were trying to 'recruit' me as they like to call it (meaning, they come calling at all hours of the night either trying to flatter me or threaten me into joining. I don't even know how they found out where I was staying!). So I started trying to find a way to get out of the city that didn't involve a bus. I'd go insane if I had to spend another ten-plus hours on one of those revolting things.

After several blocks, I finally found an auto dealership. The man that ran the place was a human with dirty blond hair and dull blue eyes. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "You must be this 'Dodger' character I've heard so much about."

"How'd you know?" I asked, mildly interested.

"People describe you as a cute pink hedgehog with purple eyes, but is scarier than she looks."

I raised an eyebrow, "You're not with a gang, are you?"

"Me? Nah," the man chuckled, "But I do deal with them more often than not."

"How fast does news travel in this town?" I asked aloud.

He smiled, "In Westopolis, it's good to know who to avoid and who to befriend."

I sighed, exasperated. "…Makes sense. Here's the thing- I need a vehicle. What do you have that's good?"

He leaned forward across the counter and fingered a pen, "Depends on what you want."

"Well," I thought about it for a moment, "Something easy to maneuver, but also fast and nothing really big. The smaller the better."

The man looked up, an eyebrow raised. "I think I have a few things in back. Do you got a license?"

"Yep."

"Can you drive a motorcycle?"

"I'm a fast learner."

"Follow me," the man motioned for me to follow him to the back. We passed by sports cars, old trucks, some minivans, and even a limo, finally stopping in front of half a dozen motorcycles. The dealer leaned against a metal beam and motioned towards them. "Take your pick."

At first glance, I knew which bikes I would definitely _not_ be getting. One seemed to have only spikes for a seat and another looked as if someone had target practice with the hubcaps. Down on the end was a black and purple motorcycle that seemed to be more of a mountain bike and of course there was a trike with three wheels instead of two. That left a pink and turquoise modern design and a dark red Harley.

I looked between the two of them. "Do you mind if I test them out?"

"Not at all." He handed the key ring to me. "Just don't think about trying to drive away without paying. I have security measures you may find annoying."

A little disturbed that he even had to tell me this, I opted to try out the red bike first. It was fast, but the steering was a bit out of alignment.

If you're wondering how I drove, it looked as if I was born to drive one of these things. Thanks to my 'freaky' abilities, I pretty much know how to not do something, meaning I learn really quick. It's handy in situations like this.

Now, the pink bike caught my eye. It had a few purple highlights on the fenders, but the hubcaps were a turquoise color. It wasn't exactly elegant, but it looked sturdy enough to survive quite a bit of action. The speed limit was reasonable, and the maneuvering was top notch. The seat was big enough that I would be able to double with someone (what? You never know) and the windscreen was just the right size. It's like it was made just for me.

After driving it for about ten minutes, the bike slowed suddenly until it came to a stop. "What the-?"

"You're outta gas!" The dealer called from the sidelines. He smirked and wandered over. "I take it you like her?"

Nodding, I smiled, "I'll take it."

"Excellent. I do need to ask… you sure you've never ridden before?"

Without answering, I pulled out my wallet. "How much?"

The paperwork completed and the price settled about thirty minutes later, I rolled out of the dealership on my beautiful new bike.

Something told me that Uncle Chuck wouldn't approve of me on a motorcycle, but hey. Just because you're a lady, doesn't mean I can't have fun… or have a little more of a crazy ride.

As I drove out of Westopolis, I couldn't help but feel a little relieved to get out of that crime-infested city. That place had awakened something inside of me; it was if I was a different person. Never had I actually fought back at the bullies and never had I threatened someone before. Uncle Chuck usually did the threatening for me. I slipped on a pair of black leather fingerless gloves and fastened on my helmet. I started the bike, relishing in the sweet sound of the ignition.

 _Station Square, here I come._

 **Boom! All done. So more action with Sofia… for the love of Chaos, every time I just dread the writing of the action. Every. Single. Time.**

 **So explanation time. First up: Sonia's anger issues.**

 **In the Underground universe Sonia is famous for yelling and lecturing at her brothers for their many, many mistakes and it is part of her personality. But as seen in previous chapters, she doesn't really yell at her Uncle much and mostly just kept quiet with her bullies. So in this story, her anger issues come from the fact that back in the South she held in her anger. But when she went to Westopolis, most of the people there are used to being handled a little roughly and Sonia doesn't mind yelling at people who she knows can take it. And she pretty much has decided that she'll do anything to get Manic back. So now, she isn't that little quiet girl who never spoke up and defended herself. She is a girl you need to watch out for.**

 **Second thing: how the heck could Sonia suddenly avoid bullets. I mean, her intuition is good, but bullets? So let me explain how her powers actually work. She knows what is going to happen seconds before it does and knows how to avoid it. So when someone has a gun pointed at her, she moves before the person has even pulled the trigger. True, it's only a second or two before but she's out of the way before the bullet has left the barrel. Also, her reflexes have been strengthened by the Chaos energy in her blood, sort of like her brother, Sonic. True, it only comes in small bursts, but she can move very fast for a split second. Hence the super spin...although, I don't think that's going to be in this story.**

 **And the last concern: Sonia's powers also allow her to know how to drive or control machinery, such as a motorcycle, without crashing or blowing something up. Works just as the same as bullet thing.**

 **If you have anymore questions please let me know.**

 **Review, please!**


	8. To Rob a Thief

**[Oceanera12: Hey y'all! I hope you liked the last Manic chapter, because we're turning it over to Halo again! Hope you enjoy.]**

 _ **Another Halo-written chapter, folks! I'll probably be writing most of the Manic chapters from now on, since writing from his POV is kind of my niche.**_ **[Era: Um… I'm doing some stuff too, but she is pretty accurate.]**

 _ **Comments!**_

 _ **Agent BM- She's not going to find her brothers for a while, but in the meantime there'll be plenty of action.**_

 _ **Gwencarson126- Glad to hear it!**_

 _ **Zosonils- Aw, you're nice. ;)**_ **[Era: Well, you mentioned this story in it and I thought your story is just as good. Glad it makes your day (because when I see an alert for A Tale of Origins it makes my day! (; )]**

 _ **Autumn- Glad you're not dead, but now what am I going to tell the coffin salesman? ;)**_ **[Era: *face palm* You're fine. I completely understand (because I do that to.)]**

 _ **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT**_ _ **\- It's great to hear that you're enjoying these chapters! Thanks for reading!**_

Manic's POV:

It had been a good day for me so far. I hadn't been mugged, I hadn't come face-to-face with a person who wanted me and all others like me dead, and the cops obviously hadn't found out about what I did to their donuts during my last visit to the county jail (last Tuesday, if you're keeping track).

But 'good' can also be another word for boring.

So mostly because there was nothing better to do, I headed out on the town to go people-reading. It's like people-watching, but instead of just guessing the facts about people, I know basically everything about them: their likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, what they ate for breakfast that morning, you get the point. And I can learn all this just by looking them in the face, and if I really want a good reading, then brushing up against them gets a ton of information...one reason I'm not usually one for physical contact. It's a bit more complicated than that (certain folks are harder to read than others), but these are just the basics.

Freaky, right? Yeah, that's what I think too. I can barely understand it myself, but I know it comes in handy when I need to see if someone's as trustworthy as they claim to be. Plus, it's fun to mess with people. Watch and learn, kids.

Out on the uptown area of Station Square, I strutted down the sidewalk like I owned the place, weaving in and around the clusters of busy people. They were a mix of Mobians and Overlanders, but all looked as if they needed to be somewhere in a hurry. Distracted by the cell phones plastered to their ears, any one of these suckers was a prime target.

I scanned over the crowds, information flooding my brain. Over there was an office secretary on the way to her building… _Nah, she's struggling, I ain't stealing from her,_ I thought, shaking my head.

There was a mime over on the street corner. I made a face; going within ten feet of those weirdos was against my beliefs, so this chump lucked out. Besides, he didn't even have a wallet on him, just some pity pennies in that hat on the ground.

My focus drifted up to one of the towering apartment complexes. Maybe the streets had lost their appeal for now, but how about the buildings?

I walked down the street to a fruit stand, discreetly swiping a banana and hiding it in my knapsack. Slipping into the line of people trailing down the cross walk to one of the buildings, I blended into the crowd heading into a luxury penthouse building. The lobby was littered with people waiting for elevators. I stepped onto one along with three or four others.

For a long time, I just stood there quietly among the other passengers. Then, right as the doors to the next floor were about to open, I shouted out of nowhere, "Group hug!" then proceeded to enforce it.

See, this is what I do with my free time.

I know what you're thinking, _what a creep, right?_ And you're right. I am a creep. I accepted that a long time ago. But fear not! There _is_ a method to my madness!

Which I will tell you _after_ I'm through with my fun.

The next round was my favorite. Two more people walked onto the elevator. _Time to outdo yourself, Maniac._

"Ring, ring," I said, very loudly and deliberately. The people next me gave me strange looks, but didn't really start to look frightened until I pulled out the banana and put it up against my ear.

"Hey, Marty… Yeah, I'm doing good. How about you?" I spoke into the banana, walking around casually in the elevator. The two people trapped with me both were very alarmed at this point, both very stiff and rigid as I walked around them, eyeing me suspiciously. I continued to talk into the banana phone until the doors re-opened and one of the passengers frantically scurried out, leaving me and the other one alone.

I said nothing, but stared intently at the woman for a while. She looked at me briefly and forced a pained smile. I didn't move, but continued to stare. She finally had enough and decided to confront me.

"Young man, may I help you?" she asked apprehensively.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, shaking my head and averting my gaze. "I didn't mean to stare. Your aura is just so… intense." The lady looked mildly horrified for a moment, then forced another smile.

"This might sound strange…" I started, saying it slowly. "...but may I read your palm? I can do that. I'm a psychic, you see."

"Uh huh…" she said, scooting a little farther away from me.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"N-no, I can't say I do." Liar. I could tell that she had always believed in the supernatural.

"I can sense that what you claim isn't true," I said thoughtfully, staring at her without blinking. "Allow me to prove my abilities." I seized her right hand and focused on the palm. Hoo boy, big wave of info.

"Now, see here, young man-"

"Your life line indicates that you will become terminally ill in the near future," I interrupted, my tone grave. The woman's face turned a sickening shade of grayish-white. I continued, "And your heart line is unclear… almost as if…"

"As if what? _What?_ " she demanded frantically.

"Oh- oh no!" I said, stumbling back and holding my forehead, grimacing painfully.

"A-are you alright?" asked the woman, terrified. "What's happening?"

I twitched and writhed, falling to my knees and holding my head. "Th-the spirits!" I shouted. "They speak to me! ... fr-from beyond the veil…!"

"What do they say?"

 _Time to wing it, Maniac._ "It… it is unclear… what they wish to convey…" I suddenly sprung to my feet, a wild, crazed expression look in my eyes. I seized the woman by the shoulders, staring her straight in the face.

"The Fates have informed me of your eternal destiny," I said slowly, my eyes watering from not blinking for so long. "You… you are in grave danger. Your _soul_ is in grave danger..."

"Danger? What sort of danger?" she asked. I couldn't believe she was still buying this, but I kept playing along.

"That… that much is unclear," I said, holding my temples and squeezing my eyes shut. I could hear the doors opening again and knew I had to wrap it up.

"But, I know this much…" I said, looking her straight in the eye.

"What? Tell me, please!"

"You must go home… stay home, be safe," I said earnestly. "Turn on your burglar alarms, stay inside… the spirits say this will be sufficient." She nodded and bolted out of the elevator.

And that's how I spent most of my day: confusing people, creeping them out, or just plain scaring them. I had to change elevators every now and then because folks were starting to call security.

But I wasn't just doing it for the laughs. Nope, in the course of five and a half hours, I managed to snag fifteen wallets, nine belts, seven necklaces, twelve watches, two hats, five bracelets, and one very expensive pen. That's what I'd call that a productive afternoon.

A few more rounds, and I'd be done for the day. I stood in a corner as the doors opened again and an attractive female bat walked in. Her fur was a pristine white and her muzzle a soft peachy-orange color. Her hair was short, it framing her round face and highlighting her stunning turquoise eyes. She wore only the bare essentials of cosmetics, just a swipe of soft pink lip gloss and turquoise eyeshadow that matched her eyes exactly. She wore a black trench coat with gold buttons, high heeled white boots with hot pink hearts on the fronts, and long white gloves reaching up to her elbows, and carried a small hot pink handbag. She looked about eighteen or nineteen, but had an air of maturity about her that I didn't see often. But the oddest thing about her was that I wasn't able to get a read on her.

I stared at the back of her head for a minute, straining my brain to figure her out, but nothing came. So she was one of _those_ folks, huh? Well, maybe if I played one of my tricks, she'll open up.

I sauntered over next to her, grinning. Her eyes flicked in my direction for a moment, but she continued to ignore me.

"Hey there," I said. She stared at me for a minute, then determinedly looked in the other direction.

"Come here often?" I asked. She didn't even flinch; it was like I wasn't even visible. I eyed her handbag discreetly, wondering what might be inside. Judging from her apparel, she was pretty well-off. If only I could get a read on her…

I scooted a little closer to her, smiling warmly. "What's your name?" I asked, readying my hand to slip into her purse.

She turned her head to face me, returning the smile and scooting just the tiniest bit closer to me. _It's working!_ I thought. _Now just slip in, and…_

Out of the blue, the bat's knee jerked forward and plunged into my stomach, knocking the wind out of me and slamming me into the elevator wall. I slid down to the ground, my back against the wall, cradling my agonized stomach. I dared to look up and saw the bat sneering down at me, hands on her hips. She reached down and in one fell swoop, snatched me up by the scruff of my neck with both hands, giving me a glare that turned my blood to ice.

"Poor, naive little street thief," she said sweetly. "Did you _really_ think it would be quite so easy to rob _me?_ Idiot." Even though I couldn't get a read on her, I could tell that this girl was dangerous. But I could handle danger, and weaseling my way out of sticky situations was one of my specialties.

"Hey, hey, hey, calm down!" I started. "Be reasonable. Let's talk this out, okay?"

She smiled. I didn't like the look of that.

"Of course, hon!" she said, that poisonously sweet tone getting even sweeter. She released me from her grasp. "I'd just _love_ to talk it out with you! You go first." Suddenly, her arm whipped forward and wrapped around my neck, gripping me in a headlock. I tried to squirm free, but she was deceptively strong.

"You wanna talk, nancy-boy?" she hissed. "Then _say._ _ **Uncle.**_ "

Unbelieveable.

Un.

Buh.

Lieveable.

"Wh-what?" I choked out, incredulous. This was happening.

"Say it!" she shouted, her grip tightening. I yelped in pain. _Keep the dignity intact, Matthews. YOU WILL NOT GET BEAT UP BY A GIRL._

"No, I ain't gonna say it!" I yelled, moaning as she squeezed harder and harder.

"I said _**say Uncle**_ _,_ sissy boy!Before I beat you unconscious!"

"You're bluffing!"

"Really? Wanna test that theory, sweetie?" One of her fingers struck a particularly painful pressure point on my neck, and I cried out before I could stop myself. The elevator doors re-opened, and the small crowd of people waiting all let out a simultaneous gasp. But the bat didn't even seem to notice them.

"I'm gonna give you one more chance, hon," she said, that venomously sweet tone returning. "Now, _say._ _ **Uncle!**_ "

I had reached my limit of pain tolerance. "Fine! Uncle! Uncle, Uncle, Uncle! Lemme go, ya-"

"Uh, uh, uh! Didn't your mother ever teach you to talk nice to girls?" She released me from the headlock and I was about to break into a run when she roundhouse kicked me in the side, knocking me to the ground. I lay on my back, groaning and gasping for air. She stood over me smirking, then rested her left boot on top of my stomach.

"Aw, did I pway too wuff with the pwetty widdle pwincess?" she crooned in mock-baby talk. "Well, maybe he'll think twice before trying to pickpocket a poor, defenseless young lady like me, hmmm?" I stared incredulously up into her icy turquoise eyes.

"Who- who _are_ you?" I asked.

She smirked. "Name's Rouge, sweetheart. Have a nice day."

* * *

 _The defeated and utterly perplexed Matthews Hedgehog trudged out of the building, his head swimming with the impossible situation that had somehow occurred: for the first time in six years, our hero had been beaten up by a girl._

I walked down the sidewalk like a zombie, barely conscious of my surroundings.

 _It was said to be impossible. No normal female should have that kind of power, the power to overcome the awesome Matthews Hedgehog. The only other girl ever to have accomplished such a feat… we aren't going to talk about her right now._

I wandered into a park and plopped down on a bench, staring off into space and pondering the same question: **HOW?**

How could this happen? I mean, yeah, I should have gotten tipped off that she was something special when I couldn't read her, even when we made physical contact. But _still!_

I had let my guard down, that's all. Yeah, she just caught me by surprise.

Or not.

Yeah, I had definitely been caught off-guard, but she was still stronger and smarter than most of the gang rivals I fight on a regular basis. And I knew that the feeling I had that she was frikkin' dangerous was spot-on, even if it wasn't from reading her.

Checking one of the watches I had swiped, I saw that it was already seven thirty. _Geez, how long have I been sitting here?_ I thought. I got up and made my way back to the downtown area. Not for any particular reason, I just needed some more time to think.

 _Our hero, with no clue on what to do next, walked aimlessly down the street. Where was he going? Not even he knew._

Later that night, I couldn't sleep.

No matter what, my thoughts always drifted back to her. I couldn't stop thinking about her. It had been years since any girl had proved herself capable of taking me down in a fair fight, even if she had the element of surprise. Sure, I knew lots of girls who can make it in a fight, but not like how Rouge did it. It just didn't make sense.

I turned over in my sleeping bag, trying to allow my eyelids to grow heavy with sleep, but they stayed stubbornly alert. What had she done to me? I couldn't even get a good night's rest.

All through the night I tossed and turned, trying everything to take my mind off Rouge. I stretched. I ran in place. I counted sheep. Nothing helped. But all that time I spent lying awake may have been good for one thing. I knew what I had to do.

I had to see her again.

 _ **So what do you guys think? What do you think is going to happen between Rouge and Manic during their next meeting?**_

 _ **Also, a note- Manic narrating himself will be in just about every Manic chapter, even if it's just for a little bit. I do this because Manic's personality is basically my personality (but from a guy's POV), and I narrate myself all the time.**_

 _ **So, a brief explanation on how Manic's powers work: Like Sonia's, they are a product of Chaotic energy in his blood. But while Sonia's powers work with telling the future, Manic's powers allow him to read minds, so to speak. As explained at the beginning of the chapter, he can look at you and know almost everything about you, and even more if he makes physical contact (skin on skin only- touching someone's gloved hand wouldn't work).**_

 _ **But also mentioned above, some people are harder to read than others. For example, if you are a person who generally wears their heart on their sleeve, he could learn every tiny detail about you in about ten minutes, except possibly your name if you haven't already given it to him (if you give him your name, it's like opening a new door in your brain- he can figure you out much quicker and easier). But if you are a person who is gifted in concealing their true thoughts/ emotions (Hi, Rouge), it's much more difficult, even if he makes physical contact and knows your name. He can also tell what emotion(s) a person is feeling and whether or not they're lying.**_

 _ **You guys liking the Manic chapters so far? If you do, please tell me in your reviews!**_

 _ **Halo Out!**_

 **[Era: … I have no idea what just happened. :O Just kidding. Totally knew that was going to happen, but still, I'm dying of laughter. That. Was. Awesome.**

 **On a separate note, Halo and I wrote a hilarious one-shot called, 'Hedgehog or Tails'. It has something to do with a coin and guessing probability. And there may be money involved. We'd love to see what y'all think.**

 **Anyway, Review please!]**


	9. How Far Will He Go?

**Hey, y'all! Random question before we get to the chapter: I'm not the only one who is really annoyed with the Archie comics right now? Right? Because I'm seriously wishing/waiting for the chaos stinking, freakin' werehog arch to be over already…. Like I want to strangle someone. Let's just add a purple Knuckles in the mix and giant fake master emeralds, throw in Team Dark and break the world apart! Sorry, I needed to vent. Comments!**

 **juancastri11: ... Makes sense. If it helps, Tails will not be getting replaced or anything. In fact (*spoiler alert*). If you want the spoiler, I'll PM you. Just let me know.**

 **Guest: RIGHT?**

 **Autumn: Thanks! Have a great weekend too!**

 **This is the first official chapter of Sonamy. I know it has come up in the previous chapters, but this is the first 'official' one. Hope you enjoy.**

 **Recommended Song:** _ **Little Do You Know**_ **performed by Alex and Sierra**

Sonic's POV:

"Sonic, you really need to stop. I'm fine!" Tails pushed me away, a little rougher than usual.

I guess that I had been a little more protective and antsy. But hey! My brother had almost died yesterday! It sort of put things in perspective all over again. With a small sigh, I sat down on the faded, old couch and put the roll of bandages on the coffee table. "Sorry, bro. It's just that-"

Tails smiled at me. "I know, I know. I was scared too." He sat down next to me and gave me a gentle punch, "I survived. We survived. Let's move on."

I smirked and ruffled his fur, "What ever happened to that sarcastic, angry, seven-year-old I had to rescue all those years ago?"

"Angry? I was _not_ angry."

"Right. And I'm not blue and spiny."

We exchanged a grin. Tails leaned forward and scooped up the remote, turning the TV onto the news. The coverage was mainly over yesterday's attack. The two of us sat in companionable silence for several minutes, both caught up in our own thoughts.

Carefully, Tails started to speak, "Maybe… you should… oh, I dunno… check on Amy?"

My quills stood up slightly. "Amy is fine. I don't want to intrude on… on her business."

"Sonic," Tails turned down the volume and faced me. "You honestly didn't see anything wrong with her? I mean, she looked pretty shaken to me."

"She said that she was fine."

He rolled his eyes, "Rule number one with girls, bro. When they say they're fine, they are _not_ fine. Even I know that, and I'm not even twelve yet."

Seriously? What did Tails want from me? It wasn't that I wasn't concerned about her, it was just… I had another 'choose between Tails and Amy' moment, and last time it had been Amy. I wasn't sure what Tails had gone through and I wanted to be there for him. So I voiced my concerns, Tails immediately berating me for doing so.

"Honestly, Sonic I'm fine. Shadow showed up, destroyed a few robots, teleported in, teleported me out, and we left with more than a minute left of time. With a three minute timer, one minute was an eternity. How much time did you have left?"

A little sheepishly, I rubbed the back of my neck. "Um… none?"

Tails looked at the ceiling, exasperated. "Can you believe this guy?" he questioned no one in particular.

"What? What did I do?"

"Sonic," he pointed at himself, " _I_ made it out with a minute to spare. No crazy mental scarring from that. Amy had zero seconds, and you expect her to be _fine_?"

"...Yes?"

"You really are an idiot, aren't cha?"

Does everyone bring this up? "Alright, alright. You win, bro. I'll go check on her."

"Thank you." Tails stood up and stretched. "I'll be in my workshop. _The Tornado_ needs a _lot_ of repairs." Then the fox left me alone with my thoughts.

* * *

It took me an hour to finally work up the courage to run over to Vanilla's. I mean, Amy was usually the comforter. The person who was strong for Cream and anyone else. But her broken and needing the picking up? How the Chaos am I supposed to comfort… well, her?

Vanilla answered the door, with her usual smile. "Ah, Sonic. How are you?"

"I'm good." I smiled back and tried to peer behind her, "Is Amy home?"

"She's out back." The rabbit lowered her voice and her smile faded slightly, "I'm a little worried about her. Maybe you can cheer her up?"

"I'll try. Thanks, Miss Vanilla." I nodded to her and stepped off the front porch. Very carefully, I wandered around the side of the house and creaked the gate door open. When I reached the back porch, I peered around the corner.

Amy was sitting on a porch swing, staring off into the distance with her arms hanging loosely at her sides. The swing was swaying slightly in the breeze, making small, faint squeaks with each movement. Amy's hair flowed when any strong enough gust came by. As I got closer, I could hear her mumbling to herself ever so softly.

Immediately, I felt a little awkward and intrusive. _Maybe I should come back later…_ I started to back away silently.

Apparently I wasn't as quiet as I thought.

Amy whirled around, startled.

I gave a timid wave, "Um… hey. Sorry to interrupt. I can come back later."

Amy cracked a smile, "No, you're fine." She patted the empty spot next to her.

For once I walked very slowly, sort of timidly, towards the pink hedgehog. I stepped up the porch steps and sat down on the swing, interrupting the pleasant sway.

Neither of us spoke at first, but sat in companionable silence. Finally, I asked, "So… How're you doing?"

If I had thought Amy was still alright, then I was proved wrong. She didn't say anything, but suddenly burst into loud, blubbery tears. She buried her face in her hands and just cried.

Not sure what else to do, I hesitantly wrapped my arm around her.

I'm not really sure how long we sat like that, but eventually Amy calmed down enough and sat up straight. "S-sorry. I-I just-" She hiccupped and wiped away a stray tear, "Thanks."

"Do you… um, wanna talk about it?" I asked as gently as possible.

Amy wiped away the final tears and nodded slowly. "Well… Oh, where do I start?"

Not really sure what else to do, I put my hand on her shoulder. "At the beginning. That's always the best place to start."

"Alright," she took a deep breath and started, "When Robotnik c-came out of the woods, I didn't really panic. I mean, he's pretty easy to handle. Then Metal came out of nowhere and everything… everything went... black. Even after I woke up, strapped down to that table, I didn't freak out too much. Yeah, I was a little startled by Metal, but…" Amy trailed off and remained silent for a moment, just thinking. "I don't know. You always came for me, and I knew you'd come again… even if I hate being the damsel in distress, which I always seem to end up as," she added a bit grudgingly. "And then, Robotnik came onto this holoscreen and told me exactly what was going to happen. You got to choose between saving Tails' life… or mine." Amy clasped her hands together and placed them in her lap.

After a few minutes of silence, I hesitantly put my hand over hers. "Go on."

She gave a small smile and took a breath, "Well, _obviously_ I knew you'd go after Tails. I mean, he's your brother. In fact, I _wanted_ you to get Tails. He's younger than me, after all. So I just sort of accepted that I was going to…you know."

To be completely honest, I was a little shocked to hear Amy talking like this. I mean, I knew that she'd thought I'd go after Tails, but this…

"It didn't really hit me until the timer actually started. Then I kinda started to freak. But then you showed up and told me Shadow was helping and I felt really relieved. And you know what happened next…"

I nodded slowly. "Even with me trying to rescue you, we still almost…"

"Died." Amy finished bitterly.

The wind picked up slightly and the swing gave an especially loud squeak. Neither of us really seemed to have anything to say

Finally, I broke the silence with a forced laugh, "But here we are. Still alive! Don't be so down about it."

"That's not the point, Sonic." Amy stood up, upsetting the swing. She walked around and began to pace the patio. "Afterwards, I… I realized all of these things that I need and, and... _want_ to do with my life. It just made me think about how fast it can all just end."

I smiled, "I know all about fast, and you're right." I stood up and walked over to the wooden beam and leaned against it, facing Amy. "But you just gotta live your life as you feel you should. Make sure you have no regrets."

Amy paused, her back to me. She fiddled with her skirt nervously, "I have a lot of regrets... and a lot of goals."

"Then you'd better get started." I smiled.

She turned around and looked a little happier, but I could tell there was still something wrong with her.

"Um… Anything else?" I asked.

Amy's expression grew a little more concerned. "It'll sound stupid."

"No it won't. Tell me."

"Well…" she looked at her hands and suddenly spoke in a rush, "Howfarwillhego?"

"Um… As I have told Tails, I run fast, I don't hear fast. Can you repeat that? Slowly?"

Amy took a shaky breath, "Robotnik… how far will he go? I mean, I know he attacks cities and people... die every once in a while, but it's always indirectly. He never points a gun at their head or threatens to electrocute everyone to death. But- maybe I'm wrong…" She paused and looked up, her face hard and determined, "You've known Robotnik the longest. You know his limits. How far will he go, Sonic?"

I shifted nervously on my feet and avoided eye contact. "Um… well, I-"

"Sonic, you don't have to go in detail. Just tell me," she turned around and looked out across the backyard, leaning against the porch railing. "Will he… will he kill?"

My mind started racing around. Thoughts still spinning, I walked over to where Amy stood. "You're right. I _have_ seen his limit... and the answer is yes. He will. He's done it before, and I guarantee he'll do it again."

Amy stared at me, the fear in her eyes prominent.

I put my arm around her shoulder, "Hey, you don't have to keep fighting with us if you don't want to. I completely understand if you want to drop out of the team. It's your choice to fight. Me?… I don't have a choice."

"Of course you have a choice!" Amy whirled around, pushing me away. "We _all_ have a choice!"

"Woah, calm down Amy! It's not that bad."

"Not bad!" she shrieked. "Sonic, I don't know if you've noticed, but we almost died yesterday! I can't believe that you're just, just... brushing that aside!"

"Amy, we 'almost die' like every other week."

"Not. Like. _This!_ " She jabbed her finger at me. "He planned, he calculated, he _prepared_ for everything! If Shadow hadn't been there-"

I held up my hand to stop her, "If he hadn't. _If._ We can't focus on what could have happened, otherwise it'll tear us apart. To stay on track, we just gotta move forward without looking back."

Amy stared at me for a moment, "That...was surprisingly wise advice."

"Always the tone of surprise. I may be an idiot, but I'm not stupid." I smiled. "Someone used to tell me that when I was younger."

Luckily, she didn't press for the identity of the sage, but gave a small smile. "Sorry, it's just... if you died, and I wasn't there…" Amy trailed off, lost in thought.

"It wouldn't be your fault. It's _my_ choice to fight Robotnik. If I die, no matter how it happens, it was _my_ choice and _my_ fault. No one else's. You got that?" I rested my hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

With a small nod she replied, "Yes."

Silence filled the air for a few more moments. Chaos, she had pretty eyes…

"You can let go of me now."

Blushing, I took my hands away and turned back towards the backyard. Awkwardly, I shuffled my feet and took a few breaths. "Well, um, I guess I should get going, or… y'know."

Amy looked at her hands, "Sonic, before you go… can I ask one more thing?"

"You just did." I said, grinning.

I received a death glare and decided to quit joking around. "I mean, of course."

"Why are you so determined to stop Robotnik? I mean, GUN could cover it… or at least I think they could. They have the military power, and Shadow and the rest of Team Dark would still fight. But you keep going out there and fighting. Why?"

Why did she have to ask that? I cleared my throat and tried to gather my thoughts. "Well… I _have_ seen Robotnik's limits. I've seen the horror that he can create first-hand. I was really little when Robotnik entered my life." I closed my eyes, images of my dead family flashing in my mind. "I don't want that kind of pain to destroy anyone else's life."

Amy placed her hand on my shoulder, and I felt a pleasant tingling where her palm touched. She smiled kindly up at me, her eyes piercing mine. I could feel my forehead dampening with sweat; I've never stood this close to her before, not when it wasn't a life-or-death situation. I could stare into those eyes forever. Those beautiful green eyes...

"Is that what happened to you?" she asked softly, barely audible. The moment broke. Briefly I considered spilling to her everything that had happened to me: Robotnik tearing apart my family, those years I spent begging, the day I finally decided to stand up to Robotnik… no. No… I couldn't. This was one secret I had to keep to myself

Silence. Then I pulled myself together. "Well, I should get going." I said, trying to sound amiable. "Tails might need help… uh, reattaching that... wing. Yeah." I started down the porch stairs, but paused on the second step, looking back at Amy. Her smile was fading fast, and I could see the disappointment in her eyes. I felt bad; I didn't want that moment to end, and I could tell that she didn't either. But I tried to shrug it off, reignite the sense of cheerful company. "Besides, didn't you say you wanted to fix some things you regret? Or want to do in life?"

Amy smiled weakly. "Yeah, I guess there is."

"Well, now's as good a time as any to start."

"Alright. Here's the first thing," Amy leaned forward and gently kissed me on the check. Nothing crazy, but a sweet simple sign of affection; all the same, an electrifying sensation crept its way up my cheek, striking me immobile "Thanks for everything." Blushing furiously, Amy turned around and ran inside.

I stared at the closed door, slowly reaching up to touch the spot where she had kissed me. I felt my face redden, but couldn't help the grin creeping up the sides of my face. I felt like dancing and banging my head against a tree at the same time..

Next door, an explosion was heard from the workshop that snapped me out of my trance..

 _Chaos, if Tails destroyed that plane..._

 **And done!**

 **I really hoped you enjoyed it. Now let me point out right now, any 'romance' is going to be rated PG. Got it?**

 **Another thing: to those of you who hate all of the kissing and holding hands, don't worry. In this story we will focus on the five different love languages. To those of you who don't know what the five languages of love are...well here ya go.**

 **1\. Physical Touch (that would be hugs and kisses)**

 **2\. Words of Affirmation (compliments and uplifting words)**

 **3\. Acts of Service (self-explanatory)**

 **4\. Gifts (giving gifts and receiving gifts)**

 **5\. Quality Time (self-explanatory)**

 **Sonic and Amy will be mainly Acts of Service and Words of Affirmation. So you don't have to worry about them kissing the whole time. (No one wants to read that.) Acts of Service will be either saving one another's life or just small things like helping in the garden or cooking a meal (we'll get to that soon). Words of Affirmation will be similar to the conversation that they had in this chapter. Just comforting one another and trying to bring the other up. Add in a few compliments and ta-da!**

 **I'll tell you the other's love languages when it comes up… which shouldn't be too far away. Yay!**

 **Also, I figured out major plot hole for near the end of the story, so you don't need to worry about me getting stuck on writer's block. Halo and I can't wait to get there...it's going to be a while.**

 **Anyway, Halo and I have just been on fire the past few days! (We've been typing chapters overlapping each other or at the same time, if you will). But unfortunately, this is the last chapter that we have prepare now so you may have to wait a few days. Probably ready next Friday? I don't know. We'll see what happens.**

 **Please Review!**

 _ **(Halo- Ah, young love. So sweet it's giving me cavities. But in a good way!)**_


	10. First Day on the Job

**Back to Sonia! Yay! And of course someone else… but that's spoilers! Comments!**

 **gwencarson126: Will do! I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

 **Zosonils: You're welcome! I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates reading all about that. Honestly, I love shipping, but when it just turns into kisses it gets old, REALLY fast. *salutes back* Well, I'm sorry that I made you rethink your life… I rethought my life about four years ago and I'm happy with the path I'm on. And hey! The wait wasn't super long. I guess this chapter was typed faster than I thought it would be. *blushes* Thanks for that compliment. I'm glad you enjoy it that much.**

 **Autumn: … I'm glad you're not dead. Honestly, I don't know what Halo was thinking…**

 **ultimateCCC: *answered with PM***

 **Quantum27: Glad you enjoyed them! Hope life is good and have wonderful day.**

 **No action. Sorry. But still hope you enjoy!**

 **Suggested Listening:** _ **Enchanted**_ **by Taylor Swift**

Sofia's POV:

I could go into detail of my first few weeks in Station Square, but it would be a waste of time and very boring. Those days mostly consisted of me wandering around, trying to locate Manic, and avoiding getting robbed. Learned my lesson of 'how to get noticed' back in Westopolis and did _not_ want to repeat it.

After one week, I figured out that I needed some more cash. Uncle Chuck's envelope held a pleasant sum of money that would cover about two months of apartment rent, but other then that, I had spent pretty much all of my money.

So a few days later I landed a job at a cute little boutique called Magnolia's Wardrobe, using my charm and finesse (and it helped that the boss was desperate for female employees). I started that Friday at two pm and was actually pretty excited. Clothes were kind of my niche, after all.

If only I hadn't lost track of time. My mind had been focused on this really interesting documentary on the Mystic Ruins that was on TV that the job completely slipped my mind until a half an hour before I was supposed to be on the job. Then, very rushed, I threw on a simple dark purple blouse, white skirt, and some white sneakers, grabbed my handbag and ran out the door. And of course that was the one time I accidently left the headlights on my Motorcycle and the Chaos Cursed battery was dead. Which meant I'd have to take a bus and then run the rest of the way.

 _Chaos, I'm so getting fired..._

You know that feeling you get when you know you're going to be late, but you can't do anything about it? It's one of the worst situations you can be in because you can't stop scolding yourself and cursing the world for it. And time just seems to move slower and slower until you're moving at the speed of a snail. So you can just imagine the stressful bus ride I had. In fact, I missed my stop because I was so stressed out. This was just not my day.

And it was even more so when for the first time in history, someone ran into me. When I say ran into me, I mean _rammed_ into me.

I had just stepped of the bus and was cursing myself for so foolishly missing my stop, adding time to my already long walk. Speed walking down the street, a red blur suddenly burst out of a nearby alley straight into my side. I went flying and skidded to the ground, along with my purse, which lost half its contents upon impact.

"Oh Chaos, I am _so_ sorry! Here, let me help you!"

I was shocked to reply to the offender. Someone knocked me over. Like, literally ran into me and I fell on the ground.

Yeah, I know. That happens to everyone at some point. Well, I'm the crazy psychic who knows what to do to dodge everything. I mean, I'm called 'Dodger' in Westopolis. So who in Chaos managed to hit _me?_

I found my answer when I finally pushed myself up to my knees to take a look at the red echidna who was scrambling to pick up the scattered items from my purse as people just hurried by. He kept mumbling apologies and stuffed everything in reach back into my bag. Without taking my eyes off him, I reached around and picked up my wallet and a stray tube of lip gloss.

Now I'd heard about Echidnas, but never had actually seen one before. I had kinda assumed that the rumors were true; that the entire race had kind of died out over time. But here was a living one in front of me, so I guess you really can't trust rumors.

The echidna held out my purse. "Chaos, I'm so sorry. I'm such a clutz… I need to look before I just rush out."

I just continued to stare at him, not even reaching to grab the offered bag. Who the Chaos was this guy? Maybe my instincts just were not working because I was stressed…

"Um, miss? Your purse?"

Realizing that I was being rude, I took my bag and slipped it over my shoulder. The echidna stood up and offered his hand out. He helped me to my feet and looked a little awkward.

"Again, I'm _really_ sorry, miss."

"It-it's alright." I finally stammered out. "Sorry, I just didn't expect to get knocked over."

The stranger rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah… Sorry, I'm in a rush. Some... friends of mine are going to see a movie that starts at two-ish and I'm running late." He shrugged. "Usually I don't like movies, but I can't pass up the new _Montana Badger_ movie."

I smiled, "I'm running late too. First day of work."

He smiled. "Well then, I'll let you go."

"You too."

Both of us turned to the right and took about three steps, then started laughing.

Red pointed, "You headed this way too?"

I nodded, "Yep. The place I work is in the mall."

"No way, that's where the theater I'm going to is!"

"Really? That's so weird!" I laughed.

He grinned. "I know, right? ... um, you wanna walk together or something?"

I shrugged. "Why not?"

The two of us fell into step and began to head down the street. At first, we didn't say anything. But when two drivers on the road almost hit one another and a large honking battle started, the echidna winced slightly.

"This is why I don't like the city. I'm more of a country person." he admitted, sounding sheepish.

"Eh… I don't mind the city, but I do enjoy the country. So peaceful and quiet."

He smiled. "Yeah! I love the outdoors. You?"

"Mm-hmm. I used to go camping all the time with my Uncle. S'mores are the best!"

"I camped out with my Dad every once in a while. He'd take me out and we'd stare up at the stars, trading stories. His were always the best."

"Sounds wonderful."

We fell into silence again, and I decided to start the conversation this time. "So… _Montana Badger_ , huh?"

"Yeah, I've been a fan since the first movie."

I smiled, "Don't worry, I love Monty. Adventure movies are my favorite."

"Right? I can't stand sci-fi! I mean, the logic just makes, like, zero sense."

"Okay, hold on I need to ask you this," We paused at a crosswalk and waited for the light, "In _The Nova Conflicts_ trilogy, did the light swords drive you crazy? You can't have a beam of light that just suddenly stops in mid-air-"

"-and is enclosed! Yes!" he rolled his eyes, "I love a good fight scene, but the light swords just made it so I couldn't focus on the actual fight. What the Chaos?"

Both of us laughed and the echidna caught my eye. Blushing slightly, I went back to talking about Monty.

For the next ten minutes we debated which Monty movie was better ( _Bandits of the Holy Grail_ or _The Final Journey_ ) and laughed on about some of the troubles that that badger had gotten himself into.

Before either of us knew it, we had arrived at the mall. The echidna opened the front door for me and we wandered into the lobby. Neither of us really knew what to do at this point.

"So, um, I guess this is goodbye?" I fumbled with my purse, feeling awkward.

The echidna shuffled his feet and didn't seem to know where to look, "Yep…"

We stood there just staring at each other for a moment. An idea suddenly popped in my mind, "Hey… do you have a phone?"

He perked up. "Uh, yeah."

"You can, y'know…" I said slowly, rubbing the back of my head. "Call me… if you want."

"Uh, sure. What's your number?" He pulled out a cell phone and looked at it a little confused, "Um… I don't really know how to work this thing?"

Instead of helping him with the phone, I wrote the number down on a gum wrapper I had at the bottom of my purse and handed it to him. "I still haven't gotten your name."

The echidna pocketed the gum wrapper and looked a little ashamed of himself. "Sorry, I'm Knuckles."

Huh. Odd name. But I pretended not to be surprised, as not to be rude. "Sofia." We shook hands firmly before I finally dashed off to Magnolia's. I was shockingly only five minutes late.

I worked for the next six and a half hours as a customer service representative, answering customer's questions and complaints. It wasn't exactly fun, but definitely better than working at a fast food restaurant. Plus, one of my co-workers informed me that as an employee, I got a 50% discount on everything in the store, and that little tidbit alone made my day (the clothes they sold at the boutique were _fabulous_ ).

The day went by really fast after that, and also very boring. When I finally got home around eight thirty that night, I was exhausted, but pleased at how smoothly my first day had gone.

 _Tomorrow, I fix my bike. No way am I doing that again…_

My mind couldn't help but wander back to my encounter with Knuckles. He certainly seemed nice, but had a hermit sort of vibe. I could understand that, after all; I wasn't much of a people person myself. Having a bad history with kids calling you 'freak' every day of your life can sort of ruin your outgoing nature.

But the thing that caught my attention the most wasn't the fact that he enjoyed Montana Badger as much as I did, but the fact that he bumped into me. How had I not seen him coming? I didn't think my powers were messed up. Later at work that day, I managed to save a young woman's purse from hitting the floor because of my intuition.

So what was up? For once in the past few months my thoughts were taken off of Manic as I tried to understand this odd echidna. Part of me really wanted him to call me… and the other part really hoped he didn't. I mean, come on, he was still a total stranger. He could be a serial killer or one of those other awful people I see on the news.

I shook these thoughts out of my tired brain and crashed on my bed. I'd figure out all of this some other time… or at least I hoped I would.

 **Yay! Knuckles and Sonia is so much fun to write because I get to come up with the funniest conversations and situations for them to get into.**

 **So I decided to make a little fun of Star Wars, but please don't get mad at me. As Halo will attest, I am a TOTAL Star Wars Geek and I love the franchise. But I had a friend who was a lot like Knuckles and Sonia and since I didn't think they'd be interested in science fiction, I decided to have the argument in their conversation. Also, Montana Badger… Indiana Jones… I haven't actually seen those movies (yet) so we won't really go into that little fake movie title I came up with. But enough about movie parody titles, let's get to the more important part.**

 **Knuckles and Sonia's love languages are Quality Time and Gifts. Meaning once again, not a lot of lovey dovey kissing, etc. It's mainly just taking one another out on a date to different places and giving one another surprises (such as two tickets to Montana Badger). This is one reason I love writing these two.**

 **I think you'll enjoy these chapters too.**

 **Anyway, please review!**


	11. The Rules of Rouge

**Okay… So a Manic chapter and you know what that means. Halo's in charge! I'm going to be honest, I didn't really LOVE this chapter, but it's still good. I think part of the reason is I just think Manic is being an idiot. But enough from me, let's turn it over to Halo.**

 _ **So, looking back on this chapter after we finished it, we found that a certain, 'Havoc' (you'll meet him next chapter) had decided to go and be the funny man and change a few words. We were literally about to publish, when Era discovered the offending words. We are happy to report that we have destroyed any traces of his handy work. I also need to excuse myself for a moment so I can go tear him limb from limb. (You'll find out about him next chapter… CLIFFHANGERS!)**_

 _ **Comments!**_

 _ **Agent BM- Thanks!**_

 _ **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT- My brother always explained it as, and I quote, "It's magic. Shut up and let me watch my movie." I kid you not.**_ **[Era: My 7th grade science teacher was the first person to point out the lightsaber thing to me… so I wasn't that smart or a stickler for the details.]**

 _ **gwencarson126- 1. I love it too! 2. Glad to hear you think so too. 3. Actual best ship. 4. Here ya go!**_

 _ **Autumn- Oh, I scare Oceanera all the time, it's not that surprising. (;**_

 _ **Quantum27- That's kind of the reason we ship those two, because that thought will always be floating in the back of your mind. It's going to get annoying, probably.**_

 _ **ultimateCCC-... Um… they've never met. I don't see how that counts as a reunion…**_

 _ **Action!**_

Matthews POV:

It was Friday- poker night- and I was supposed to be playing cards with Ears and Tony in Curtis's living room. Usually, I'm not too bad (I cheat, by the way. I know that's no surprise but just thought I should mention it), but tonight I was really getting creamed. But I couldn't help it- I still couldn't stop thinking about her.

It had been three days since my encounter with Rouge, and I still hadn't been able to find her. I figured out a few of the most likely places she might be in the city, but had only been brave enough to check out one, with no success. And can you blame me? That girl is _scary,_ dang it!

And interesting.

I mean, the way she was able to fight, you didn't see that often in women who weren't on the martial arts channel. If I hadn't been the subject of pain, I might have congratulated her. Not to mention that she wasn't bad-looking either. I really respect that she didn't feel like she had to pile makeup all over her face or wear next to nothing to look cute. Didn't see that every day (at least not in this neighborhood).

Thanks to my wandering thoughts, I lost another round along with twenty bucks. Great.

"Come on, Maniac, what's up with you?" asked Ears from across the table. "Usually, you clean up on poker night. S'going on?"

"What?" I said, snapping out of my thoughts. "Aw, nothing."

"Man, we know you're lying." said Curtis, setting down his cards. "Seriously, what's up?"

"Uh…"

"Here, lemme guess. It's a girl, ain't it?"

My face must have given me away, because all the guys at the table started laughing.

"First guess! I can't believe this!" laughed Curtis. "So, who's the lucky lady?"

I mumbled something about not wanting to talk about it. If these guys ever heard about me getting beaten up in an elevator by some girl I thought was hot, they would never let me live it down.

"Come on, man, tell us! Is she hot?" asked Tony, setting down his cards and grinning.

I cracked a smile. "...Yeah."

"Didja talk to her?"

"You could say that."

"Wassat supposed to mean? Either you talked to her or you didn't."

"I talked to her."

"Didja get her number?" asked Ears.

"Uh, no."

"Chaos, Maniac, why not?" he demanded.

"Uh… must've slipped my mind." I lied. Well, technically it wasn't a total lie. I definitely wasn't thinking about calling her when she had me in that headlock.

Curtis threw his hand down and called for us to pay up, much to the displeasure of the group. After we forked over the cash, he glanced at me, "What's her name?"

Eh, what's the harm in telling them her name? "I think… it was Rouge. Weird name, huh? Cute girl though, so who cares."

Everyone froze, their eyes just staring at me, a look of horror and shock etched on their faces.

"...What? Was it something I said?" I asked, confused.

"Dude…" said Curtis, slowly. "Did you say Rouge was the girl you met? Rouge the _Bat_?

"Yeah… is that a problem? And how'd you know she was a bat?"

"Oh Chaos…" said Tony, banging his head on the table. Ears buried his face in his hands, muttering to himself. Seriously, _what_ was I missing?

"Did any of you date her or something? Are you guys worried about me flirting with your ex? 'Cause-"

"Dude, you don't _flirt_ with Rouge, let alone even _talk_ to her. How the heck did you run into her?"

"I may have… tried to pickpocket her. Didn't work. "

"Of course it didn't work! How are you even _alive?_ " shouted Curtis, standing up suddenly and banging his fist on the table, his expression frantic.

"Hey man, I don't even know who this chick _is._ How was I to know that she'd beat me to a pulp?" Oops.

"She beat you up? For real?" asked Ears.

"Oh, don't ask so surprised, Randall." said Curtis, exasperated. Woah. He called Ears by his real name. This was getting serious. "What would you expect _Rouge_ to do? I can't believe this. I _cannot_ believe this."

"Dude, who the heck is Rouge?" I burst out.

All went silent again. Then Ears started laughing.

"You don't know?" he asked between breaths.

"No, I'm just asking to see if you know. Of course I don't know who she is, that's why I'm asking! All I know is that I'm about to swipe her purse and _boom!_ I'm caught in a headlock and she's forcing me to say uncle! Whaddaya want from me?"

Curtis seemed to pull his racing thoughts together and began to explain, "It's just that… the fact you don't know about her is, like, insane. Dude, she's a GUN agent."

Wait, what?

Ears interrupted, "Ya know, she was a thief before that."

"Yeah, yeah," Curtis waved his hand aimlessly, "I was gettin' there."

"Woah, woah, woah, hold up-" I asked. "She's a GUN agent?"

"Uh yeah, where have you been?" said Tony. "It was big news when she got busted for that one job a couple years ago, and then she completely went off the map. Next thing we knew, she pops right back up, 'cept this time, she ain't interested in any of her regular jobs."

"Whaddaya mean?"

"I mean that she wasn't stealing jewels anymore. At least, not normal ones from what I hear. And she ain't swiping 'em for herself either- they're all for GUN. And then when some… eh, _associates_ from her crime days try and get her back in the game, she rats 'em out to the cops without even batting an eye."

"So remind me again why I'm not allowed to go near her?"

Curtis stared at me incredulously. "Dude, she is _literally_ the best professional thief and spy in Mobius. She's stolen more in her career than this entire city is worth."

"And that's supposed to turn me off?"

"What's supposed to turn you off is the fact that she can kill you in fifty different ways if she decides she don't like you. It's a miracle you're _alive_ , man." said Curtis. If he hadn't been so serious I might've laughed.

"Oh come on, Curtis! Yeah, she beat me up pretty good, but I don't think she intended to _kill_ me," I said, leaning back in my chair.

"The point is, Matt, she _could've,_ " said Curtis, sitting back down. "If she felt like it, she could've taken you out, right then and there."

I thought about that awhile. It definitely wasn't hard to picture Rouge tearing some poor sucker apart if she got ticked off. But… call me crazy, but I just didn't feel she'd do that without a heck of a good reason, and some random street thief wouldn't count as one. Maybe I _did_ get a read on her after all.

"Yeah, I guess," I said half-heartedly. "But-"

"No. No buts, Maniac," said Curtis firmly, narrowing his eyes. "If you ever come across Rouge again, for your own safety, there are some very, _very_ important rules you need to follow."

"Wha-"

"Number One," he interrupted. "You do not flirt with Rouge. You do not ask her out. You do not make eye contact or physical contact. You do not attempt anything that could be considered the _slightest_ bit romantic.

"Number Two, you do not steal from Rouge. I don't care how much you want to; you've already seen how she deals with pickpockets and it ain't pretty."

"And Number Three?" I asked.

"Number Three, _stay far, far away from her._ If you see her on the street, walk in the other direction. If you ever find out where she lives- by accident, I hope- avoid that place at all costs. Seriously dude, Rouge may be cute and all, but she is frikkin' dangerous. You got lucky this time- but I wouldn't count on getting lucky again."

I could tell that Curtis was dead serious- but I still just had this feeling. Deep down, I knew Rouge wasn't all these guys were making her out to be, I just... knew it. But I also knew that Curtis and the guys had my best interests at heart, and they weren't trying to steer me wrong on this.

Erg, why was life so confusing? I shuffled in my cheat cards into my hand and threw them down face up, mumbled "Fold," then stalked out of the room, grabbing my knapsack and heading out the door, only smiling a little when I heard, "When were you going to tell us you had a royal flush?!"

It was late, about ten o'clock, and the city was lit up once again. I breathed in the warm night air and tried to clear my head. Why did everything have to be so… frustrating?

I calmed down quickly and tried to think through my options. I could take Curtis's advice and avoid Rouge altogether… or I could take the riskier route and keep trying to find her. I felt this pang in the pit of my stomach whenever I thought of her; I wanted to see her so bad, and I didn't know _why._

I usually trusted my gut, and so far, it hasn't steered me wrong. This time, my gut was telling me to go along with my original plan: find Rouge.

I smiled to myself. It was time to do what I do best: break the rules.

* * *

I spent the whole next week focusing on trying to find where in the world Rouge could be. I had already checked the uptown area where that one building had been, but I couldn't remember exactly which one of the buildings we met in; they all looked the same to me (hey, at least in the ghetto area, the graffiti adds a little personality to the neighborhood). I checked every public phone book in the city archives- nothing.

There was the chance that she was an out-of-towner, but I doubted it. Anyone living in an apartment complex that fancy just for a visit was either a billionaire, or completely out of their mind. Rouge seemed well-off, but she couldn't be _that_ well-off.

Man, this was hard work. I wasn't used to having to actively research, well, anything. Usually, if I need to know the dirt on someone, I just stare at them for about two seconds and I'll have all the information I need. Is this how normal people found out things about other normal people? If it is, I obviously haven't been missing anything.

Partly because I wasn't finding anything and partly because I was getting bored out of my mind, I decided to re-check out the area her building was in. I wandered around for a while, aimlessly searching for a white female bat.

It must've combed the area for hours, and _shockingly_ enough turned up empty-handed. I was standing in an alleyway between two buildings and about to call it quits- then I saw her.

I didn't notice her at first- she was just another face in the crowd. I flicked my eyes in her direction, then whipped around as I realized just who it was. She was making a beeline for a towering white penthouse building. _So that was the one! Can't believe I missed it._

I trailed behind her, slowly quickening my pace to catch up to her. I had been practicing this moment in my head for a week, this was going to be awesome. Slightly demeaning, granted, but it would... probably be worth it.

As soon as I had jogged up directly behind her, I slipped my hand into her purse, pulling out a thick wallet. Just as I had anticipated, her hand whipped around and seized my wrist, pressing her talon-like nails into my flesh. I felt her twist my arm around behind me and winced as she slammed me face-first into the side of a brick building. A few pedestrians gave us a stray glance, but she had dragged me into the alley between two shops where we were mostly hidden from the public eye.

"Newsflash, douchebag-" she hissed into my ear, pressing me harder against the wall. "You just chose the wrong girl to mess around with. Think you're so clever to try and rob me? Think again." She shoved me onto my stomach, my face making contact with the rough asphalt. I was beginning to have second thoughts about this plan. Oh well, point of no return.

Rouge kicked me hard in the side (sheesh, were her high heels steel-toed or something?), and I felt the wind get knocked out of me. I worked up the strength to turn over on my back, grinning up at her despite the throbbing pain in my arm and stomach.

"Ever get Deja vu?" I asked, raising my eyebrows impishly. Boyish charm, don't fail me now.

She glared down at me and as we made eye contact, I could feel myself getting my first read on her: she recognized me.

" _You!_ " she snarled, grabbing my shirt and lifting me up to her eye level.

"Me." I replied, showing off the pearly whites. "Long time no see."

"What, you didn't learn your lesson last time? Or do you enjoyme beating the tar out of you?"

"Hey, if you're the one beating me up, I don't got any problems with that." Another reading: she was confused… nope, not confused. Just repulsed. I can work with this.

"So lemme get this straight," she said slowly, her eyes narrowing. "You… _like_ getting beaten up."

"Well, no, not generally," I said. "I just like it when it's with you." She gave me a strange look, like she couldn't decide whether to be disgusted or amused. Then she punched me in the face. That works.

I rubbed the tender spot on my lower right cheek where the blow had landed. That girl hit _hard,_ dang it. And before I could think of something charmingly witty to say, she proceeded to punch me again, this time on the left cheek.

"You say you like to have your butt kicked, huh?" she growled. "Well, call me your fairy godmother, 'cause I'm about to make your wish come true."

"Ooh, are we doing pick-up lines now? Cause I'm not a photographer, but I can picture you and me together." My wide grin only spread wider as I watched her try and process this.

"...Are you _flirting_ with me?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, you started it."

"Really."

"Yup, I could definitely tell you were hitting on me just now."

I could feel her temper soaring; her pupils had dilated and her nostrils were flared, but I could tell that I had caught her off-guard. Whatever she was expecting from me, it wasn't this.

Rouge's fist thrust into my gut, hurling me backwards against the brick wall. I felt briefly dazed, but the grin on my face never faltered. Trembling a little, I got back on my feet to face her. Her body posture had stiffened somewhat and I noticed that her breathing had become short and quick. She had thrusted back her shoulders slightly, and her tightly clenched fists were raised in a loose fighting stance.

"Who are you and how in the name of Chaos did you find me this time?" she demanded, seizing my shirt collar again and pressing me against the brick wall with one hand, the other raised threateningly, mere inches from my face. " _Answer me!_ "

She was doing a good job of trying to intimidate me, but I had anticipated her trying this. But the little I could glean from my readings (it still took a lot of effort to read into anything but her emotions), she was still more than willing to beat me unconscious and leave me for dead. Nice girl.

"Woah, woah, woah, hold it, tiger-" I said, raising my arms in surrender. "First of all, the name is Matthews. Or you can call me Matt. Or Maniac. Honestly I don't care what you call me. And second of all, I'll have you know that I found you completely by accident. Mostly."

"What's 'mostly' mean?"

"Well… I may or may not have been trying to find you for like a week. I was seriously about to give up today though, 'cept just as I was gonna call it quits you walked right by me. And that purse looked awfully tempting."

Rouge didn't speak as her eyes scanned me over. Her face contorted into a condescending sneer and I could tell she had written me off as some random weirdo. That's cool. Happens all the time.

"Listen and listen good, freak show, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once." she growled. "You obviously don't know who I am-"

"On the contrary, doll face, I know exactly who you are."

" _Nevertheless,_ " she sneered, her cheeks beginning to redden; whether it was from fury, makeup or fluster I couldn't tell. "You're the biggest nitwit I've ever met if you think that you can flirt your way out a well-deserved bashing."

"Oh, I don't think that at all. I'm just doing it for fun."

"So... everything flattering you just said was a lie."

"Not so. Everything I said was true, I just enjoy pointing it out."

Rouge stared at me again for a minute before dropping me. She turned her back and was about to walk away, when out of nowhere she delivered me a hard kick in ribs, then speed-walked out of the alley. I was left alone on the ground, clutching my side and reeling with pain.

' _Mission Accomplished', thought our hero as he rose triumphant. Sure, he had once again succumbed to the shame that is getting beaten up by a girl, but he had completed his goal- now, to move on to step two: asking her out for a romantic evening. Shut up, this is gonna be great._

I got up and walked back to the downtown area to snag a good waiting spot in the free charity clinic; I didn't feel so good after that beat down. Turns out I had three slightly bruised ribs and a cut lip. Nothing too major, but it still hurt.

No matter. I'll live. The point is, I had an objective. Something to work for that wasn't re-breaking the local record of how many misdemeanors I could commit in twenty-four hours. The ice was broken and I had gotten her at least a little bit interested- at least enough that the next time we meet, it won't be nearly as painful on my part.

 _Maniac out._

 _ **And there you have it! The first of many chapters concerning Manic's shameless at flirting. You'll find that Rouge will begin to have a change of heart later on (aka, she figures out that no matter how many times she beats up this idiot, he'll always be coming back for more if it means he can 'hang out' with her). He'll also still find it next to impossible to read Rouge on anything but emotions, which are the easiest thing to read (combining his mind-reading thing with observing body language and facial expressions and the like, it's only moderately difficult).**_

 _ **Another little bit of clarification- Manic does not have any malintentions concerning his relationship with Rouge. He's not one of those pervs who steals the girl's heart, has some one night stand, and then ditches her for the next girl foolish enough to fall for him. No. Just NO. Manic hates people like that, and so do me and Era.**_

 _ **But anyway, review please!**_

 **[Era: Okay then, I don't know if I'd do the flirting that way (but then again, I don't know how to flirt. And if you think I'm joking, I'm not.) but it was still rather amusing. Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter!]**


	12. Kitchen Fiasco's

**And now we continue the story! Well actually, we have another one-shot type of chapter. But before I explain that, comments on reviews!**

 **ultimateCCC: *looks up what that means. pales* Um… Halo! We need to talk!**

 **juancastri111: Once again, CONGRATS TO YOUR COUSIN! Hope you are having fun in Rio and are enjoying the Olympics. (It's not the same on the TV)**

 **Zosonils: I'm glad you like the pairings. I'm actually more of a Knuxouge kind of person, but I do agree. Sonia and he have a lot in common. And Manic getting beaten up is pretty funny. And I understand that it can be hard to find something to say. Because, 'This is really good' every single review, isn't a review. I appreciate the really specific reviews (even when they aren't always positive). Glad you are enjoying it! And we'll keep going.**

 **Okay, so this chapter is a sort of headcannon of Halo and I. What is it? Well… Sonic can't cook.**

 **I know what you're thinking… 'Well he doesn't cook in the games… or at least he doesn't on screen. He just buys chili dogs.' Well I'm sorry, but spaghetti was ruined for me when my Mother was not feeling well for a long time and she made the three exact meals for dinner every night. Sonic could not keep eating chili dogs for his whole life for every meal and NOT throw up or get sick of them.**

 **Action!**

Sonic's POV:

You know you should avoid the kitchen when you burn cereal. If you think I'm kidding, then you should have seen the day I froze boiling water.

I couldn't make this up if I tried.

See, Tails had this rule in the house: 'Sonic is not allowed in the kitchen, under any fathomable circumstances.'

Now that just seems paranoid. I don't blow up something when I grab a snack...most of the time. Okay, so _maybe_ the microwave hates me. That's not my fault! But apparently I can't be trusted with the microwave, oven, stovetop, pots, pans, blender or even the fridge.

But not today! Today I was going to heat up a bowl of soup without causing a disaster.

Or at least I hoped.

 _ ***BEEP*BEEP*BEEP*BEEP***_

"Hey Tails! Can you come here and help me out for a second! And bring your fire extinguisher!"

For as long as I can remember, I have never been able to grasp the concept of preparing food in the kitchen. I love food, I just can't make it myself.

"The floor is melting! Tails, hurry!"

The sound of my brother opening the back door and calling in, "What happened this time?"

"I was heating up some canned soup and it spilled. It smells like old eggs and it's turning yellow!"

"What?! Don't touch anything, I'll be right there!"

"But I can-"

"DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!"

Tails opened the door and stared, the horror on his face evident. "What kind of soup was it?"

"I don't know! It was green and lumpy. Broccoli-cheese maybe?"

"We don't have broccoli-cheese!"

"Well then, maybe it was chicken noodle or something. I don't know!"

You ever see those spy shows where the guy uses household cleaners and a stick of gum to make an explosion? I once used dry milk, a broken toaster and a badly placed electric fan to do the exact same thing, and didn't have to rely on any cheap special effects.

"What were you thinking? This stuff is _literally_ eating though the sink!"

"I was hungry and you were busy."

"This glop makes you _hungry?_ "

"Compared to the salad Amy made me have for lunch, yes."

" _SALADS_ DON'T EMIT POISONOUS FUMES!"

We've tried a few things to help. We even paid for cooking lessons to see if that would help. The first day we tried to make baked Alaska. Four people were rushed to the emergency room from that fire.

"Help me clean it up before it hardens!"

"I can't! The broom is on fire!"

"Then get the mop—wait, it seems to be draining. It's made a hole in the floor. It's gone, we're saved!"

"No we're not, it's in the ventilation system!"

By now, poison control and the FBI probably have us on some sort of watch-list. We've called them so many times that we have the number on speed dial. We know all the firemen on a first-name basis, and all our neighbor's fences have been fireproofed, courtesy of GUN.

"Quick, get the gasmasks! I keep them right next to the first aid kit."

"Found them. Can I have the green one? The black one makes me look like a creep."

"WE. NEED. TO. _EVACUATE!_ "

Honestly, if it weren't for our all-bases-covered insurance policy from GUN, we'd probably be locked up for arson right now. Funny story, after the first three or four times it happened they were going to revoke our fire insurance, but then the guys from the chemical warfare department convinced the guys in charge to let them have a look at what I did. From what I heard, it vaulted them years forward in their research and they haven't threatened to cut us off since.

"Go get the hose from the backyard! We may still be able to contain it!"

"Okay, one sec…" I zipped into the back and grabbed the hose, running back in the blink of an eye. "Got it!"

"Now aim at the base of the fire. Don't let it spread to the pantry or who knows what could happen."

"Um, Tails? I have some bad news."

"If it's about the leftover macaroni, I already know you ate it."

"No, actually it's a bit more urgent than that. The water is making it bigger!"

"Of course it is…"

"So what now?"

"What else? Time to jump ship and hope the neighbors don't riot."

I suppose I should resent the fact that we have to completely replace our kitchen every other week, but it does have its advantages. For one, we never have to worry about old leftovers. Another thing is we've never owned a knife set long enough for it to get dull. And I suppose when you have a quasi-government shadow agency willing to foot the bill just as long as they can do a chemical analysis afterward, it's not all bad.

Tails pulled out his phone and hit speed dial. "Hello, GUN?... Yep, I got another one for you… Some soup spilled and I think we're going to need a full squad for this one… Okay, see you in fifteen minutes."

* * *

Two days later, our kitchen had been restored and GUN had just finished yelling at me for being an idiot- again. Now Tails wanted to chat with me.

Tails heated up two frozen burritos in our brand-new microwave. He pulled out the two steaming plates with no explosions and placed the food in front of me, sitting on the other side of the table.

I just shook my head, "How do you do that?"

Tails smirked, "Hey, I can't cook either, but at least I can work a microwave without starting the apocalypse."

"I really hate you sometimes."

"Love you too, bro."

With a smirk, I pointed at him, "There's my sarcastic brother."

Tails gave a playful punch and then bit into his food. He chewed slowly and swallowed, a smile coming to his face. "Do you remember the first meal we tried to make together?"

"You mean those PB&J's?" I laughed, "I still can't believe the toast caught fire in the toaster."

"And the peanut butter was more oil than anything because you didn't mix the jar."

"Hey, I didn't know that when you bought that specific brand you had to mix the floating oil on the top into the paste below."

The two of us laughed.

"Worst sandwiches I've ever had," Tails mumbled under his breath.

I shook my head, the smile on my face growing, "No, the worst sandwiches you've had were those ham and cheese ones from three years ago."

"You mean the ones where you used stale bread, moldy cheese, and left out the mayo for an hour before?" Tails shuddered. "I couldn't throw up fast enough."

"Oh really?" I took a bite and swallowed, "What about that time you tried to make brownies? And you mixed up the sugar with the salt and added raisins because you didn't know they weren't chocolate chips? And they were not even cooked all the way. It _literally_ slid off my napkin."

"I was seven!"

"Yeah… and I was twelve."

Tails finished his burrito and thought for a moment, "Oh yeah, well how about the time you-"

"Do _not_ bring up the Chili Dog Incident of '32. We promised we'd never speak of it again."

My little brother stopped with his mouth open. He snapped it shut and thought for a moment, "Okay then… Remember the time that you attempted to cook a store-bought pizza?"

I buried my head in my hands, "I did until you said it…"

"Raw dough, Sonic. _Raw_ dough."

"I know, I know, I heard you the first time." After a moment, I poked my eyes back up, "Okay Mr. Photographic Memory, remember when you tried to make a quesadilla? You didn't know how much cheese to put on so you grabbed the whole three pound block then turned the microwave on high. Pool of liquid cheese all over the kitchen floor."

"I'm not the guy who somehow burned juice. That shouldn't even be possible."

I smiled sheepishly, "Okay Tails, you got me there. _I_ don't even know how I did that."

Both of us burst out laughing. After a few minutes, Tails wiped the crumbs of his face and gave a small smile. "We've had some strange experiences in the kitchen… but I think it's time to stop."

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning you," Tails leaned forward and pointed at me, "Need to… Stay. Out. Of. The. Kitchen."

"I will Tails, I will."

"No, you won't." Tails pulled an envelope out and set it on the table. "We have neighbors who are suing. Suing over _your_ cooking! Do you know how bad this is?"

I scratched my head, "Um… yes?"

"Sonic!"

A small knocking noise came from the front door, interrupting Tails oncoming lecture. A little too quickly, I stood up and said, "I'll get it!" then zipped away.

"SONIC!"

At the front door, I smirked and pulled the heavy wooden door open to find- "Amy? What are you doing here?"

The pink hedgehog peered at me from behind two big paper bags in her arms, a little confused. "Vanilla asked me to come drop off your groceries that she bought you. She said you blew up the kitchen again."

I looked up at the ceiling a little exasperated, "Why is everyone blaming _me_ for that?"

"Maybe because it was your fault?" Amy smiled slightly, shifting the bags full of food. "Can I come in?"

Mentally, I face-palmed myself. "Right, sorry." I reached out and took one of the bags and motioned Amy to follow me.

Tails was standing in the kitchen, arms crossed and scowling. "Really? _Really?_ "

"What? Amy has the groceries?"

The said girl gave a timid wave and put her bag on the brand-new counter. She inspected the new kitchen design and smiled, "I think I actually like the color scheme they chose this time. Less...flashy."

Tails started to unload the food, "Yeah. Let's see how long it lasts."

"Hey!" I grabbed a loaf of bread and tossed it in the bread box, "I'll stay out of the kitchen."

"Give me one reason to believe you."

Well… he got me there. Amy chuckled and began to help. We had all of the food put away in about five minutes and sat down around the table.

"So," Tails started, "What are we going to do to keep you out of the kitchen? Apparently, the prospect of having the pants sued off you isn't enough."

"I dunno. Bribe me?"

"That doesn't work."

"How do you know what works and what doesn't?"

"Sonic!"

Amy interrupted. "Okay you two, arguing isn't going to solve the problem." She looked at both of us with this stern expression that would have made Shadow feel guilty. "Now, let's address the problem."

"Okay, Sonic can't cook."

I rolled my eyes, " _We_ can't cook."

Tails stuck out his tongue at me.

"Alright, then what can we do to remedy this?" Amy asked. "Have you tried cookbooks?"

"Um… I'm not much of a reader so, I sort of ignore them." I scratched the back of my neck, a little sheepishly.

Tails made a 'there-ya-go' motion.

"Okay, how about a cooking class?"

"People end up in the hospital." Tails responded immediately.

Amy frowned, "Okay, then get take-out."

"Well we did that for a few years but…"

"It got old really quick," Tails finished for both of us. "One can only stand so much pizza before the thought of it makes you wanna hurl."

The girl just smiled and shook her head, "You really are on the last leg, aren't ya?"

Both of us nodded silently.

After a pause, Amy brought up her final suggestion, "Get a cook."

"What are we, rich?" I asked a little annoyed.

She rolled her eyes, "You don't need to hire a professional. I'm sure someone would do it." Amy looked at me with this expectant look that made me feel like I was missing something. I stared back at her trying to understand, but got a little distracted by her bright green eyes.

Finally, Amy got impatient enough, "I'll do it! Sheesh…"

"Oh…"

Tails held up a timeout sign, "Hold it! You want to cook… for _us_?" He just looked at me with this confused expression.

Amy laughed, "Well obviously, I'm not cooking everything. I mean, you can handle cereal for breakfast… right?"

"I'll pour his milk."

I gave a light punch on Tails arm and glared. "Sheesh, I can get milk without burning the house down. It's trying to cook with it that makes me feel like an idiot."

"You are an idiot."

"Ha, ha."

Amy ignored the exchange and continued, "And I'm guessing that you'll just eat vendor chili dogs at lunch or order a pizza, but I think I can handle dinner. Besides, at Vanilla's I feel a little useless. Have you seen Cream in the kitchen? It's unnatural how good her food is!" She smiled. "How about we try it tonight and tell me what you think. 'Kay?"

So the two of us agreed, a little reluctantly. I mean, I didn't want to ask Amy to take her evening to _cook_ for us. Who wanted to do that?

* * *

"I wish my mouth was bigger." Those were the first words out of Tails' 'too small' mouth when Amy walked in with a platter of homemade sour cream enchiladas.

The hedgehog blushed and laid the pan down on some pot holders. She cut out one of the steaming stuffed tortillas and spooned it onto my plate, the smell of chicken and cheese making my mouth water.

"Holy Chaos… where the heck did you learn to cook?" I demanded digging in immediately following the word, 'Amen'.

Across the table, Amy laughed and she took a bite. "This is a new recipe that I've wanted to try so I just thought, 'why not?'"

Tails and I were too busy eating to answer.

At one awkward moment, I wanted to say, "I love your cooking," but it came out as, "I love you." Stammering, I corrected the grammar and stuffed my mouth with as much food as I could, trying to hide my red face. Tails was too busy laughing to pity me and Amy blushed furiously, obviously trying to suppress a smile.

After the heavenly meal, we talked to Amy about the cooking. Now don't get me wrong, I thought the food was really good. Like, five-star restaurant good. But I still felt a little guilty just asking Amy to come and cook for us for free.

Eventually we decided that she'd have Friday and Saturday off, and if she couldn't do it one night it wasn't a big deal. We offered to pay her, but Amy refused any money or treats that we offered. So we just offered for her to eat dinner with us whenever she wanted. Can't say that we weren't grateful.

Amy went home shortly after. As soon as she left, Tails began to tease me relentlessly until I excused myself to bed. It had been a very long and very strange day.

 **I'm dying of laughter right now… Anyone else? This chapter had a little help from Halo's older brother. And by a little help, I mean he wrote pretty much the whole first part of the chapter (everything above the first line across the page was pretty much his) We'll just call him Havoc (you might remember him mentioned in the previous chapter).**

 _ **Havoc: I wish to address them personally.**_

 **Era: Okay.**

 _ **I would like to thank all of the little people. The munchkins, the dwarves, the lollipop guild, the hobbits, santa's elves, and the oompa loompas, all of them were a big help in getting where I am today. As I was reading the original manuscript I was struck by how, like my sister, it was in serious need of professional help. So I used my superior intellect to construct a more highbrow reading experience. Then I got bored and made things go boom. Don't try this at home, and if you do, send me pictures. Have fun kiddies!**_

 **Um… I'm offended and complimented at the same time. Don't know what to make of this feeling. So before my brain snaps, I'll just move on.**

 _ **Halo: Not so fast! Dear readers, please do not think ill of me because my brother decided to soil the family name. He will definitely NOT be writing again (unless there's science involved again, then he'll force me to let him. I got a D in that subject anyway, so… yeah. It probably was wiser for him to help out with the chemistry of this chapter). Plus, he's a pretty serious gamer and may or may not think that Sonic the Hedgehog is total crap. But what does he know?... a lot. My brother knows a lot. He was taking college courses in his Sophomore year.**_

 _ **But nevermind about him. He bugs me enough at home, he is SO NOT taking over online. Sorry "Havoc", but you're done here.**_

 _ **No I'm not. I'm always watching you… Never underestimate the power of older, smarter, better looking, all-powerful brothers. Readers, make sure to read future chapters very carefully. I may be able to sneak a few easter eggs in (depending on whether they catch my changes before or after they publish).**_

 _ **NO. YOU WON'T SNEAK IN ANYTHING.**_

 _ **If you see anything mentioning a group tinkle, it was me. BWAHAHAHAHA!**_

 ***grabs head and moans* WOULD YOU TWO STOP IT? Okay, now I just have a huge headache. I'm going to just stop now.**

 **Hope y'all enjoyed! Please review!**


	13. Lunch Date

**Hey, y'all! Hope you enjoyed the explosions in the previous chapter, because I'm still laughing about it. Sorry about the long update. I've been busy with Summer Homework. Holy Chaos, it's annoying!** _ **(It's not just annoying, it's wrong. Everything about the concept of homework in the summer insults me on a personal level. I AM PERSONALLY INSULTED.)**_ **Anyway, comments on reviews:**

 **ultimateCCC: It was the first time. And I don't know enough about Chocola to say if he would be a good pet for Tails. I do love T-pup though.**

 **Autumn: That is awesome. I'm pretty clumsy in the kitchen, but I have never burned cereal. Glad you enjoyed it, and I was trying to make Amy sound like a professional cook.**

 **Agent BM: Well, it's never said in the games, tv shows, or comics that he wasn't a bad cook, but they didn't say he wasn't a good cook either. Once again, this is a headcanon of Halo and mine.**

 **Zosonils: To be honest, I was laughing while writing it. I needed a good laugh. I do love this headcanon. It's the funniest thing to think about… Havoc and Halo… Um, well I wouldn't say it was scripted. They just sort of fought over the computer and typed what they wanted. So yeah, that's what they're like.** _ **(Got that right. Hey, he's my brother, we're supposed to fight. Besides, it's fun to prove your superiority over your jerky, arrogant, hot-headed sibling.)**_

 **SonicFan23: I don't watch the Simpsons so I wouldn't know.**

 **juancastri11: Um… I can see your first review on the website and I sent you a PM about a week ago. Let me know if you got it.**

 **Kaileighmd2001: That's sort of the point. It's supposed to be impossible but Sonic is such a horrible cook that he does the impossible.**

 **Maxi-T: Woah… *reads the whole thing twice* I love long reviews! (; Are you wrong…? Nope! No, I understood what you were saying. Don't worry, I understood what you were saying. Yeah, I am more of a Knuxouge person, but I loved Knuckles and Sonia in the show and couldn't help but think it's be better this way. As for Manic and Rouge, I came across a fanfiction a little while back that shipped them and I couldn't understand for a second. And then I realized that they are both thieves and just went: welp, I guess that works. So thus we have Manic and Rouge. But I love Sonamy (not really a Sonally fan… I don't know why, but Sally just- I don't even know why, but I don't really like her. But Halo likes her** _ **(darn right I do. In my shipping hierarchy, when Sally's around she's shipped with Sonic, and when she's not around Sonic's shipped with Amy. And when I ship Sonally, that means shipping Amy x Mighty the Armadillo! Please refrain from throwing that rotten fruit at me.)**_ **So, I have no idea. Besides, I like this version of Amy with Sonic. Less...obsessive. And it did make sense. Here's your update and your typos are fine. (Halo catches most of mine. Otherwise...ugh.)**

 **StarlightSparks: Well then, welcome aboard! I'm glad you are enjoying it. I love to have a lot of humor, but I do love the feels as well so you may end up crying at some point. Just a warning. Sorry in advance. Thanks for the review and I hope you continue to enjoy!**

 **Okay, so this chapter is about, you guessed it, Sofia! Shocker, right? Yeah, it is really predictable because we're BORING. Sorry. Don't worry, action will come soon.**

 **But not this chapter. Again, sorry. On the bright side, you get to see another hilarious headcannon of Halo and mine. But I'll tell you that at the end.**

 **Welcome to the strange and cute relationship of Sofia and Knuckles. Action!**

Sofia's POV:

You know that feeling of Deja vu? I do. I get it all the time these days.

I needed a change of routine. It wasn't that I didn't like my job, but I really felt like my day was getting very, very, predictable, and that's coming from the girl who can tell the future.

So, after two weeks of hard work and long hours, I wanted a change of pace, a change of food, a change of something! No more tiny closet sized apartment... well, at least not for another month or so until I can afford something bigger, but you get the idea. Basically, I just want a break from my routine.

My routine of the day goes something like this: Wake up at seven, get ready for the day, go to work at eight, work til noon, hour long break, back to work, get done at nine, go home, and crash. Now don't get me wrong, I _love_ my job. I'm surrounded by the most amazing clothes I've ever seen twenty-four seven and get to help people look the best they can. But until I got my raise, I couldn't spare the time to look for Manic. I worked Monday through Saturday, and Sunday was a day of rest and church. And by rest, I mean that I crash on my bed for seven hours then spend the evening paying the bills.

So when I say I was ecstatic when my phone rang on Monday morning, and it wasn't my landlord or boss but an unknown number, believe me, I was on cloud nine. Praying that it wasn't a telemarketer, I answered the phone. "Hello?"

A loud crackling filled the audio box, and I could vaguely make out some kind of muffled conversation on the other end. _"Uh- Tails! How do you work this thing again?"_

I got really confused. Who was calling me? "Um, what?"

" _So you just talk into this end?... And listen through this end?...Oh, don't give me that look, it's hard to figure out- Oh, it's upside down?... Okay, keep laughing, see if I care!"_

Now bewildered and a little annoyed, I spoke up. "Is this a prank call? Because I have your number on my phone."

" _Oh, um, no. I, uh, don't know what a prank call is, but this isn't one. Um, is this Sofia?_ "

"… Yes? Who's asking?"

" _Um, this is Knuckles. We ran into each other about two weeks ago...? I'm a red echidna, I, uh, speak in the accent I am currently speaking in… You remember me, right? Because if not, I'm just going to push one of these chaos-cursed buttons and- what's the term?- uh, hang up. Hey, hey Tails! How do you hang up again?"_

By this point, I was holding my sides and laughing my head off, tears forming in the corners of my eyes I was laughing so hard. "Knuckles! Yes, it's Sofia, and of course I remember you."

" _Oh… this is awkward."_

"No, it's hysterical!" I continued to laugh.

After a brief pause, a small chuckle came from his end, _"I guess it is a little funny. As you can see, I'm not exactly… technology-minded, or whatever you call it."_

I wiped a tear away and tucked the phone under my ear, grabbing my purse and heading out the door. "I'm on my way to work so we can talk while I ride the bus. My motorcycle is still in the shop."

" _You drive a motorcycle?"_

"Oh, right. You didn't see it. Yeah, I drive a motorcycle."

" _Um… that's pretty… interesting."_

"You don't believe me."

" _Well, I don't_ _ **dis**_ _believe you but... I can't see you driving something like that."_

"You'll have to see it to believe it." I smiled and reached the bus stop with little distractions.

Knuckles gave a small laugh, _"Yeah, I guess I will. Anyway, I was… um..."_

The bus pulled up in front of the stop, brakes squealing. The doors swung open with a hiss and I boarded the bus, flashing my pass at the driver. "You were what now?"

" _Uh, well, I thought I should call you… because you gave me your number… and this is coming out wrong."_

I smiled, "No, you're fine. In fact, I had almost forgot all about it."

Which was true...mostly. Okay, so maybe I did spend a few nights trying to figure out how I hadn't been able to predict him, but still, can you blame me? I pulled myself back into the present. "Anyway, what's up?"

" _Oh, well, this is going to sound really stupid and probably a little weird."_

"Okay…?"

" _Long story short, my friends are trying to drag me to this lame GUN technology convention on Thursday and I'm trying to get out of it, and the only way was to say I had something at the same time. Well, I really don't and I can't stay at my friend's house during the the hour-long-techno-thingamajig, and I don't like lying to my friends so…"_

I looked out the window at the passing pedestrians. "So…?" I pushed.

" _So, I was wondering if you wanted to do something around lunchtime on Thursday."_

My heart picked up pace a little for no apparent reason. "Oh, I'd love to, but I have work that day."

" _Oh."_ He sounded disappointed.

"But... I have my lunch break from noon to one. That should be enough time to go to lunch, if we hurry."

" _Oh!"_ Knuckles must have done something with his hands because a shuffling noise came from the other line. _"Okay then… so um, where do you want to go?"_

"There's a pretty nice sub place right across the mall from where I work. You could come to my work place and we'll walk over together when I get off my shift."

" _Um… alright. I think that works. What time do you need to get back?"_

"One o'clock." The bus screeched to a halt in front of the mall and I got out of the bus.

" _Okay, where do you work?"_

"I work at this small little boutique called Magnolia's Wardrobe in the mall. It's not difficult to find. It's on the second floor with the pink and yellow sign."

" _Pink and yellow sign. Got it."_

Pushing the doors open, I walked into the large mall lobby and entered the elevator, pressing the button for the second floor. "So, I'll see you then?"

" _Yeah, I guess so. See you-"_

" _SONIC! SONIC! KNUCKLES HAS A DATE! HE'S GOING ON A DATE!_ _ **SONIC!**_ _"_ A shrill voice rang out from the other line, making me wince slightly and withdrawing the phone from my ear.

Knuckles' furious voice responded immediately, _"Wha- TAILS! WERE YOU LISTENING? YOU LITTLE- THIS IS NOT A DATE! YOU HEAR ME? NOT! A! DATE!"_ He turned his attention back to the phone, _"Sorry, Sofia. I have to go. My friends are being idiots, as usual."_

I could hear someone singing in the background, _"Knuckles has a girlfriend, Knuckles has a girlfriend!"_ Knuckles started yelling something but it was cut off by the click. _"SHUT UP, SONIC! TAILS, I SWEAR, I'M GONNA-"_

Blushing slightly, I hurried off to work. At least now I have something to look forward to.

* * *

The week passed relatively quickly and Thursday seemed to sneak up on me. The minute my shift ended, I slipped into the employee restroom to freshen up, then went to wait for Knuckles in front of the store.

At noon on the dot, Knuckles walked around the corner. Once he caught sight of me he waved and I walked over to him, smiling. "Hey."

"Hey." He rubbed the back of his neck, "Listen, I wanted to apologize about the phone call. I was borrowing my friend's house phone and his little brother Tails was listening on the other end."

I smiled, "Don't you have a cell phone? I saw you pull it out."

"Yeah, but I... don't know how to use it very well. Tails was showing me how to use his house phone instead, the little smart-aleck." He shifted slightly and made a gesture with his hands, "So where's this sub place?"

"Follow me." The two of us walked into the elevator and went down to the first floor food court. Avoiding the lunch crowd, we ducked around to a large sandwich statue that had a sign reading _'Relish the Thought Sandwich Shop'_ where the toothpick should have been.

Knuckles raised an eyebrow at the sign, but didn't say anything. He held the door open and put his arm out in a, 'after you' gesture. I couldn't help but smile; it was rare to find such a gentleman.

The sub place was one of those, 'build your own sub or order one of our specials' kind of place, with tables and counters to sit at once you have your food. I actually liked these places because then I didn't have to worry about picking the meat off my sandwich and looking like a snob.

The cash register lady looked very bored and sounded even less excited to see us, "Welcome to Relish the Thought. What can I get for you?"

I looked at the menu, trying to decide if I should get a salad or the vegetarian sandwich. Knuckles was also pondering the menu, every once in a while shaking his head and mumbling to himself.

Finally I decided. "I'll have the Vegetarian sub and a water."

"Um…" Knuckles still looked a little indecisive, his arms crossed and eyes flickering. "Meat Lover's Special?" he asked. "And a cup of water."

"That will be $11.57. We accept cards or cash. Your food will be ready in a moment."

I pulled out my wallet, but Knuckles put a fist on my hands. "I'll pay. It's only right- I was the one who you asked you to come, after all." He pulled out a few dollars and gave it to the lady. We walked over and sat in a small booth, waiting for our food to arrive.

Knuckles looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry, I... don't eat out often."

"You're fine. I get it."

There was an awkward pause, then Knuckles nervously asked, "So… you're a vegetarian?"

"Yeah," I played with the zipper on my purse, "Let's just say my Uncle completely ruined meat for me."

"Oh… so you don't mind if I... um..."

"Eat meat?" I asked with a small smile.

"Yes."

I shrugged, "It's ruined for me, not other people. It's not that I'm against meat, it's just one of those things that's kinda lost its appeal. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah." He gave a grin, "You haven't eaten barbecue till you've had mine, though. Or at least that's what my friends tell me." Without any real reason, Knuckles pulled out about ten napkins out of the disposal on the table. He started to shift them around on the table, folding them here and there.

Confused and a little fascinated, I watched. After a few minutes I finally asked what he was doing.

"Oh, um, I'm not exactly sure." He frowned and folded a crease down on one of the thin papers. "I just know it can take a while for the food to get here, especially at the busy times of the day.."

"I know right?"

"Yeah."

Knuckles shuffled the origami napkins around the table, looking uncomfortable. I suddenly felt awkward, wringing my hands and staring at the floor, the two of us sitting in silence. I felt at a loss for what to say; why couldn't I think of anything?

" _So…_ " started Knuckles, fiddling with a napkin.

"So…" I continued after him. Then silence.

Very awkward silence.

Knuckles was about to open his mouth to say something when the waitress appeared beside us with a tray of food. She set it down on the table with a smile, wishing us an enjoyable meal. Knuckles and I thanked her then dug in, both our spirits lifted by the break in our mutual awkwardness.

After we had started in on our food, it was like a new door had opened between the two of us. Making intelligent conversation suddenly became easy as pie, and I found myself liking Knuckles more and more with every minute I spent with him. Before I knew it, our food was all eaten and my watch was telling me that it was ten to one.

"It is? Already?" asked Knuckles.

"Yeah, I'm surprised too! Time flies, you know." I slung my purse over my shoulder and got up from the booth, ready to leave.

"Heh, yeah…" said Knuckles, rubbing the back of his head. "You wanna get going?"

"Probably. I'd better get back to work, my shift is starting in ten minutes."

Knuckles left a small tip on the table, and the two of us made our way out of the food court and back up to the second floor, chatting up a storm. I hardly noticed when we stopped in front of Magnolia's, and didn't really want to notice anyway. Hanging out with Knuckles just felt so… natural. I felt as comfortable around him as I was with Manic when we were kids.

"Well… we're here," said Knuckles, sounding as disappointed as I felt.

"Yeah…" I stared down at my shoes, once again unsure of what to say. Chaos, what was wrong with me? One minute everything is great, and the next my mouth decides to stop wor-

"We should do this again sometime."

I perked up, a smile spreading across my face like wildfire. "Yeah… we should!"

"You free next Thursday?"

I nodded. "That sounds good. I don't have anything going on then."

"Me either. So… see you then?"

"Sure!... call me?"

Knuckles looked momentarily surprised before his face lit up. "Y-yeah. I'll call you. If I can ever figure out how the phone works."

"Heh heh… you do that. See you Thursday." I waved goodbye and walked into Magnolia's. All the rest of that day, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

 **Awwnn….I'm such a sucker for these two. *sigh***

 **Okay, now that I'm done with that, hope y'all enjoyed. Please tell us what y'all think of Knuckles and Sonia so far. So next up Manic which means Halo gets to start typing like crazy while I start on the next Sonic chapter. I'm hoping we can post them before school starts, but if not you will be getting an author's note update that explains what's going to happen this next year. DON'T PANIC.**

 **Speaking about not panicking... IT'S THE 13TH CHAPTER AND NOTHING CRAZY BAD, HORRIBLE, TERRIBLE, OR MENTALLY SCARING HAPPENED. I need to go find a lucky penny and a four leaf shamrock right now or I'm going to go crazy or something bad is going to happen to me. 13 can not be a good chapter. It just can't! (I'm a little superstitious about 13... Don't ask why, I don't know. Hate 13.)**

 **Also, I keep realizing that I keep forgetting to tell Manic and Rouge's love language! Seriously, it's overdue. So I'm just going to do it right now before I forget again. Just a reminder for the others before we get to them. Sonic and Amy is Acts of Service and Words of Affirmation; Knuckles and Sonia is Quality Time and Gift Giving.**

 **As you may have guessed, Manic and Rouge are the 'Physical Touch' people… yay. Once again, this is rated PG. Sheesh, I have standards. So this where the hugs and hand holding and small kisses are coming in. Along with Physical Touch, they are also Gift Giving [How much money do you think they spend on that? If you guessed very little** _ **(cough cough, *NONE*, cough cough.**_ **Oh come on, they probably spend like… a dollar.** _ **Why spend a dollar when you could steal one?**_ **Um…. why run for President when you know you'll destroy the country? People are weird.** _ **)**_ **, then you get a cookie.]. Mostly stolen merchandise and other… souvenirs. Although, Manic doesn't really like jewels so this is going to be very interesting/hilarious.**

 **Anyway, hope you have a great day and hope you enjoyed. Review please!**


	14. Flirting with Danger

**Hey everyone! Era here just to tell you to hold on tight and that I'll see you at the end of this chapter.**

 _ **Back to Manic! Yet another Rouge Relationship chapter, but this time there's something different- Manic isn't such an idiot in this one! Surprised, ain't cha?**_

 _ **Comments!**_

 _ **Gwencarson126: Wow, best fanfiction ever? That's quite a compliment!**_

 _ **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: The romance is what makes it amazing! THE FEELS**_ **(I love the feels, but I hate them at the same time… that's normal right?)**

 _ **Maxi-T: You proud yet, mama? YOU PROUD?**_ **(... Okay, now I'm confused.)**

 _ **StarlightSparks: Hey, thirteen's my lucky number too! Dunno why folks think it's bad. They're probably just jealous 'cuz thirteen likes me and not them.**_ **(Hey, thirteen isn't mean to me… I just don't like it. Drives my family crazy and they drive me crazy by bring it up every moment they can. Actually, I have no idea how Manic is going to read his siblings… we'll just have to see, won't we?)**

 _ **Juancastri11: TOKYO! GET WRECKED!**_ **(*facepalm* Please ignore that… And I'm glad you had fun in Rio! I want to get that game for the 3DS, but I'm hesitating… Eh, whatever. I'll cross that road when I get to it.)**

 _ **Autumn: Aw, thank you!**_ **(Yay! Mission is a success. Just Kidding. (; )**

 _ **ultimateCCC: Drink it till you drown.**_ **(... I'm so confused…)**

 _ **Zosonils: Holy Totem Poles, I love that phrase. Totally making that a thing now.**_ **(Of course you are, Halo. Anyway. Happy Birthday! Here's another (very) late present.)**

 _ **Quantum27: Thank you!**_ **(Thank you for the consideration. Glad you enjoyed it!)**

* * *

Matthews's POV:

What's better than a good old-fashioned, vendor-style hot dog? Nothing, that's what.

"Gordie, my man!" I grinned, striding up to the hot dog cart and grinning. "How's it hanging?"

"Matthews!" The middle-aged walrus perked up, his twinkling eyes barely peeking over his enormous bushy mustache. His apron strings looked about ready to break from the strain of his pot belly, and he spoke with a heavy italian accent. "What can I getcha?"

"The usual, Gordie, and extra relish today. I'll be paying with cash."

Gordie swapped me a hot dog for a fistful of bills and I bit into it, savoring the juicy saltiness of the wiener and condiments combined. Hot dogs were the one thing I ever used actual money to acquire (after I took ownership of the wallets the money came from, of course). Worth it, too; Gordie made the best dogs on the East side (and possibly the West side too, but I don't eat from those uppity rich people restaurants on principle).

I finished my dog and briefly contemplated heading to the mall to go people-reading before remembering that I am currently not welcome there due to a tiny misunderstanding involving the wishing fountain and a bottle of dish soap and a person who looked uncannily like me pouring one into the other.

 **Long story short-** that could've been anybody, and that nasty fountain needed to be cleaned anyway. And probably the floor. And the pants of the thirty-something people who slipped in it.

Moving on!

I pulled out my drumsticks and began tapping randomly on the buildings, the sidewalks, people's heads, anything in reach. I closed my eyes, feeling the rhythm of the beat…

And quickly opened them again when I felt a disturbingly strong hand grab my shoulder.

"Long way from home, ain't cha, kid? You gonna play me something with those sticks?"

Like the idiot I am, I turned around to get a look at him, leaving me wide open for him to sucker punch me in the face.

I fell back, clutching my chin where the blow had landed. He hit me again while I was dazed, but luckily he just grazed me. Recovering quickly, I retreated to get my bearings. I got a good look at the guy who jumped me- a twenty year old squirrel with muscles as big as my head and a reputation for having a powerful punch.

And he was a Meerkat.

Hoo boy.

He wasn't armed though (good for me), so I figured I had a decent chance of scaring him off before he put too many dents in me. I took a look around and felt a twinge of panic. Without meaning to, I had wandered into enemy territory while still wearing my dark red denim jacket with the sleeves cut short, the one with the Striker colors sewn on the back. That may not seem like a big deal to you because chances are, you don't belong to a gang. But the rules around here are pretty straightforward: you join a gang and wear your colors in your own territory as a sign that you're a member, not to mention a shield to ward off any knuckleheads who wouldn't otherwise know that you're on their side. But when you enter some other gang's turf wearing your colors, _take them off_. It's a sign of respect. And if you don't feel like taking them off? That's _asking_ for trouble, buddy. The only other thing you'd need is a sign on your forehead that says, 'Calling all dirtbags! Please beat me up!'

You can see why I was starting to feel queasy.

I didn't have much time to kick myself too much, though, because the jerk who jumped me was far from finished. He reached into his back pocket, pulled out a pair of brass knuckles and slipped them on, ready to knock me into next week. ' _Not today, pal,' thought our dashing hero as he began calculating his ingenious strategy for defeating this scuzzball._

Making to sure to stay outside his reach, I quickly scanned the area for something, _anything_ , to defend myself, or at least distract him enough to run for the hills. Off in the corner was an empty glass beer bottle peeking out of an overflowing trash bag. I snatched it up by the neck, swinging it at my opponent. He ducked, allowing the end of the bottle to smash against the wall, pieces of broken glass raining down onto the pavement around our feet. I brandished the sharp end at him, scowling fiercely. I can look really mean when I want to, and right now was the perfect time to pretend to be intimidating.

"Back off, man! I ain't trying to disrespect you or anything. I'm taking off my vest, see?" I swept off my jacket and threw it behind me. "No harm, no foul. I'll just be on my way."

"I don't think so, _Striker_ ," he grunted. Quicker than I would have thought possible, he slammed his fist into my stomach, sending me toppling back onto the cement. Those knuckles really did a number on me; I felt like I had broken a rib. Luckily, I had kept hold of my busted bottle, and swiped the guy's left arm with the sharp end. He roared like a lion and I took the opportunity to strike again, this time angling for his face.

Unfortunately, it seemed that he had anticipated my move and grabbed the non-sharp part of the bottle, tossing it aside and shattering it to splinters against the unforgiving sidewalk without ever taking his eyes off me. Before I had time to jump out of his reach, he grabbed the front of my tee shirt and began wildly punching me in the stomach. _Our hero was in deep agony, seeing how this jerk was playing dirty by using brass knuckles, but he refused to yield!_

I reached into the side pocket of my cargo pants and flipped out my blade. Just when the Meerkat thrusted his fist forward for another blow, I pointed the end of the knife right in front of his fist, the two colliding painfully.

He bellowed in anguish, clutching the fist that was gushing waves of dark red blood; I could see where I had punctured him; the bone was sticking out and his ring finger, where the blade had punctured the worst, looked like a bloody sausage from the grocery store meat aisle. I knew this was the best chance I had to break away, but his hold on the front of my shirt was still iron-tight. Using my blade once more, I cut a small tear in the fabric right next to where his fist held me in place. I jerked away, allowing the entire front of my shirt to rip off. Snatching up my jacket from the ground I took off, scaling a chain link fence and not daring to look back.

I didn't stop running until I was safely back on my own turf. I hated getting jumped.

It happened a lot on my side of the city, and not just when you acted like some birdbrained stooge who's not watching where he's walking. It can happen anywhere, even when you're in your own territory. In my neighborhood, the phrase, 'don't talk to strangers' isn't just a rule you give to kids; it's the number one thing to remember besides 'don't get caught' and 'snitches get stitches'. I was just lucky that it had only been one guy- most of the time it's two or three in a group who jump trespassers.

Not really having any place in particular to go, I headed down to the pawn shop. The shop was in the heart of ghetto, a small but infamous shop known for attracting pretty shady customers. At least it was infamous among the criminally advanced community; any gangster worth his salt (and his life) knows to keep his mouth shut good around cops, so luckily no law enforcement officers have paid us a visit yet.

Gabe was working behind the counter as usual, reading a magazine. He grunted in my direction as I headed into the back room, and I gave him a small nod (we didn't talk much, me and Gabe, and when we did it was mostly me making stupid comments and him telling me to shut up or he'd beat the tar out of me. He hasn't gone through with it yet, so I just keep making stupid comments).

In the back room were Mitch and Tony, playing cards. They looked up when I walked in, then stopped to take a better look at me.

"Hey Maniac, that's a weird fashion statement you've got going on there," said Mitch, setting his hand down and cracking a grin. "But if you wanted a new vest, couldn't you have just gotten one from a store? And what's with all the bruises?"

I looked down at my chest; several brown and purple splotches had appeared, exposed by my torn tee shirt. Note to Self: Get a new shirt.

"Oh, this?" I said casually. "Got jumped. No biggee."

"Jumped? _Here?_ " asked Tony incredulously. "By who?"

"Some Meerkat. Big guy. Hard fists."

"And he jumped you _here?_ Off his own turf?"

"Ah…" I paused, grinning sheepishly. "...Not exactly."

"Wassat supposed to mean?"

"It means that I was being a bonehead and accidently wandered into Meerkat land."

Tony and Mitch simultaneously face palmed. I shrugged my shoulders and grinned weakly. "Sorry."

"Hey man, if you want to be dead before you're seventeen, be my guest," said Mitch, setting his attention back to his game. "But coming from a person who likes and sort of tolerates you, take my advice: get your head out of the clouds before it gets shot."

"Thank you, mother."

"And don't be such a smart mouth."

"Too late."

I hooked my thumbs in my pockets and headed over to the small kitchenette in the corner. It was pretty basic, just a fridge off to the side and a microwave on top of a counter that should really get cleaned sometime. I grabbed a grape soda from the fridge and popped it open, taking a sip and heading back to the main room.

"Where's Ferrell?" I asked, leaning on the back of the couch.

"In the meeting room."

"Why?"

"Dunno. He's talking with some girl who walked in a half an hour ago."

"Which girl?"

"Go see for yourself if you're so curious."

I did, walking over to the meeting room and peeking in the puny window on top of the door. Ferrell had neglected to close the blind, so this wasn't a high-security thing. I wasn't tall enough to see anything more than the very bottom of the window, so I wasn't able to identify who he was talking to.

The door was built to be almost totally soundproof, so there was no point to try and eavesdrop. Besides, it was probably just some special client or something. No biggie.

I crashed on the couch and watched Mitch and Tony gamble away their pocket money, not really paying attention to the game but still making wisecracks at every turn. Eventually, the door opened and out came Farrell. I didn't bother to turn around; I had pretty much lost interest in whoever he had been meeting with.

I did, however, regain that interest when I saw Mitch and Tony's expressions.

Their jaws had dropped wide open and their eyes were as big as wagon wheels. Tony opened his mouth to say something, but his resolve faltered and he shrunk back, his face white as a sheet.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" I asked. "You working on your fish impression? You're doing it all wrong, man. See, it's more like this-" I took a swig of soda and began to gargle obnoxiously. The two turned and looked at me as I were crazy. Mitch pointed a trembling finger to where Farrell was and I turned around. Sure enough, the big guy was there, but he had a guest standing beside him.

Rouge the Bat stared down at me with mild contempt written on her face, then diverted her eyes to study her talon-like fingernails. I was so shocked to see her that I choked on my soda, spraying it out of my nose and onto the couch cushions. Fun fact- soda burns when it's shooting out of your nostrils.

She wrinkled her nose at me in disgust as I hurriedly wiped my sticky face off on my arm. What the heck was she _doing_ here?

Worst.

Timing.

 _Ever._

In spite of this, I tried to look cool and nonchalant, leaning back in my seat and winking at her. "Hey," Another drop of soda dripped down my upper lip. _Smooth, Matthews._

Farrell cleared his throat, uncomfortable. He looked tense.

"Boys, this is Rouge the Bat, agent of GUN. I take it you are already, ah… familiar with her?"

The three of us nodded in unison. I wanted to say something witty, but for once my mind drew a blank.

"Good. She's here to interview each of you for your personal takes on the crime levels of our fair city. If all you's cooperate, then we'll be making an agreement with GUN to not be jailed for running the, er, business. Capishe?"

"I think they understand, Mr. Ferrall," aid Rouge coolly. "Personally, I'd like to get this job over with as soon as possible, so let's get down to business. Who wants to go first?"

Silence.

Rouge sighed in an exasperated way. "Fine, we'll do this my way. Eeny, meeny, miny… you. Soda nose." She jabbed her forefinger at me. "You're up."

Her icy turquoise eyes were hard and unwavering and she gave no indication that we had ever met. I didn't really have any other choice than to follow her into the dingy meeting room. I had only ever been in here once or twice before- I'm not one for sitting still and listening to some schmuck prattle on and on about recruitment or strategies for cheating on their taxes or whatever it is they discuss.

Rouge took a seat next to me, folding her hands in front of her and surveying me coldly. A blank clipboard sat to her right along with a pen. Suddenly I felt self-conscious. I wished that I could think of something to break the ice… or at least had on a decent shirt.

Turns out I didn't need to start the conversation because Rouge had that bit handled. After glaring at me for about a minute, she stood up sharply and banged her fists on the table, getting up in my face and glowering at me.

"Alright punk, whaddaya want?" she snarled, low and dangerous. We were less than two inches apart and I could smell her breath. Chocolate and wintergreen mint with a hint of cinnamon, if you were wondering.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who wanted to see me, angel." I said, a sly smile creeping up onto my face.

"Don't play dumb with me. And _don't_ call me angel."

"Sure thing… angel."

Rouge's nostrils flared and I thought she was gonna slug me, but I was wrong, thank Chaos. I don't think I could take getting beat up twice in one day.

"You said last week that you were trying to find me me. _Why?_ " she demanded.

"I told you, I found you by accident."

"Before that, you said that you had been trying to find me for a week. Now tell it to me straight, dirtbag- _What do you want?_ "

Sharp, this one. "You really wanna know?"

"No, I'm asking for a friend. Of _course_ I wanna know, stupid."

"Okay, so here's the deal- see, I met this weird gypsy lady, and she told me that the only way I would avoid becoming a balding, depressed potential murder victim is if the most awesome, kick-butt girl I know has a fun night out with me. Wanna help me not become bald, depressed, and potentially murdered?"

Her mouth dropped a little bit and I could tell that I had taken her aback. Something about her reaction seemed to unlock a door of sorts in her mind, and suddenly I could hear her thoughts racing and her emotions going haywire. She was furious… she was confused… she was pleased… she was enraged at herself for being pleased.

Her jaw hardened and the steely look in her eyes had returned. "You disgust me."

"No, you're cuter."

Rouge's cheeks flushed and her body stiffened. Her shoulders were thrust back and I could see her take in her breath. She had no idea what to think of me, but it was clear that she found me oddly intriguing. Once again, the trademark Maniac charm has worked its magic.

She stood abruptly, knocking back her chair and strutting to the door. She slammed it open, a shade passing over her features.

"We're done here," she said stiffly. "Kindly go get one of your little friends for the next interview. _Now._ "

"You got it, angel face," I answered cheerfully, winking at her. Swaggering out the door and grinning, I felt one last wave of emotion from Rouge: frustrated, embittered attraction.

I'd call that an unqualified success.

 _ **And we're done! See, I told you Manic wasn't such an idiot. But you didn't believe me. Tsk, tsk.**_

 _ **Review, please!**_

 **Okay, I do need to say that whenever I read these Manic chapters for the first time, I'm literally laughing so hard that sometimes I cry. So I really hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter and look! Manic can read Rouge! (well sort of…)**


	15. Knuckles in Love

**Kinda strange chapter incoming. Warning.**

 **Okay, so it's not that strange. But still someone is going to think it's strange. Anyway, comments!**

 **ultimateCCC: I didn't really think much of it, but I'm glad you enjoyed it.** _ **(Yes, yes it was.)**_

 **Maxi-T: Manic's charm… It's rather strange, but effective isn't it?** _ **(No one can resist that boy's animal magnetism. I'd like to see them try… actually, Rouge is going to try, like, a lot. So that's one wish granted.)**_

 **Gwencarson126:** _ **(NO. YOU'RE AWESOME. YOU'RE ALL AWESOME!)**_ ***rolls eyes* Halo pretty much just summed it all up.**

 **Blue: Greetings from Mobius! (; Just kidding. I'm so glad you've enjoyed the story so far and hope you continue. And unless you want spoilers, I'll keep that a secret.** _ **(Yeah, new commenter! Tell all your friends to comment, me and Era love hearing from you guys! Shout out to anyone reading/ following this story that hasn't commented on it as of yet- PLEASE DO! Make our day (even if it's critical or negative. Always room to improve)!)**_

 **Autumn: I'm glad you like the Manic chapters. They give me a good laugh.** _ **(Glad to hear it!)**_

 **Zosonils: What scene? I don't know what scene you're talking about… (; I mean, it's not like something really bad happened and then it NEVER HAPPENS IN THE TIMELINE. So I have no idea what you're talking about. I do have to say, having a co-writer is very fun and useful.** _ **(Aw, you're nice.)**_

 **Alright, so now we get to establish some interesting relations between characters. What the Chaos am I talking about? Well let's just see, shall we?**

Sonic's POV:

" _ **Knuckles has a girlfriend, Knuckles has a girlfriend!"**_

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, _SHUT UP!"_

I smirked and ran around to the other side of the room, just out of reach of the furious echidna. Tails was standing in the doorway, laughing at the scene with tears running down his cheeks.

The old Knucklehead had just gotten off the phone (which he had somehow figured out how to use- the personal cell phone that Tails had given him almost three years ago had been completely unused until a few weeks ago. Now he hardly ever puts it down) with his beloved Sofia and I couldn't help but have another one of my teasing sessions that I enjoy so much.

"She's _**NOT**_ my girlfriend." Knuckles growled in a threatening tone.

"No," I agreed and slung my arm around Tails and playfully tossed him slightly, "She's just a girl that you've seen for the past month every Thursday, rain or shine."

"Three weeks isn't a month, genius."

Tails giggled, "It's close enough."

The two of us whirled around and ran downstairs as Knuckles dove for us. I laughed and ran out the back door, Tails right behind me with a grumbling Knuckles following rather reluctantly.

Over the past four years, my relationship with Knuckles hadn't really changed much. I mean, when Tails and I crashed on Angel Island, he still tried to kill me (and pretended he didn't know me. Didn't really mind that last one much. After all Robotnik somehow convinced him that I was the bad guy). We still argued like cats and dogs and rarely agreed on something that didn't involve saving the world. And every once in a while, he'd try and kill me again because Robotnik tricked the old Knucklehead… again.

Another growl from Knuckles alerted me he was still mad. I rushed into the workshop to hide. Tails followed me and immediately frowned.

"Sonic, if you-"

"I know, I know bro. Calm down. Knuckles knows better, right Knucklehead?" I nodded at said echidna when he walked in.

He simply growled, but nodded affirmation. The last thing both of us wanted was an angry Tails.

If you think I'm kidding, then you're dead wrong. Because this kid can be scary (I've seen it first-hand too many times). And nothing is more scary then your little brother when he's angry about you blowing up his workshop along with a red echidna because someone wanted the TV remote ( **don't ask** ).

So, a little reluctantly, the both of us sat down on a workbench and watched Tails start tinkering on another one of his projects that neither of us understood in the slightest.

After a few minutes, I finally gave another comment, "So… what are you and Sofia doing tonight?" I asked innocently.

Knuckles eyes snapped suspiciously over, but he fell for the bait. "Just an amusement park downtown… why do you ask?'

"Oh, I was just curious," I smirked in Tails direction. He gave a wink and a slight nod. "When do we get to meet this girlfriend of yours?"

"One, _she's not my girlfriend_. And two, why in the name of Chaos would you want to meet Sofia?"

I leaned back slightly, "I don't know, maybe the fact that I'm world famous might be an incentive. Dude, how do you know she's not just using your popularity to get popular herself?" Okay, I know. Low blow. I'm an egocentric jerk. So sue me. But girls used to try and pull that sort of thing on me all the time, which was one reason I didn't really like the whole dating thing. Knuckles had even less experience and you never knew.

Well, Knuckles didn't seem to like that accusation, "Sonic! You really need to think before you say things like that!"

"Hey, it's always a possibility!"

"That doesn't mean she's like that! Besides she's never even heard of Team Sonic."

Now this caught me by surprise. "Wait, what? Where did she grow up, under a rock?"

Knuckles gave me a warning look that clearly said, _'One more comment like that and I will throttle you.'_ "No, she grew up pretty far south, sort of out in the middle of nowhere. Little 'out of town' news never reached the house."

Tails finally entered the conversation, "So, she's never heard of Robotnik? At least someone had a happy childhood. What's she doing up here? Change of scenery?"

"Eh… not really sure. I know she's looking for someone."

"An old ex?" I couldn't help it.

Knuckles made a growling sound that was cut off by Tails crossing his arms and clearing his throat loudly. Awkward silence.

Tails turned back to his contraption, "Why don't you ask?"

"Well, we talk about stuff, but the past is sort of off limits. It's kind of like an unspoken agreement. Every once in a while I might mention my Dad or she may mention her parents or brothers, but… it's just easier. Then I don't have to explain the whole, 'I guard a deity in a giant emerald' thing. That's kind of a conversation-killer." He shrugged.

"But still, she's never even heard of the famous Sonic the Hedgehog?"

"Um… I'm going to assume no."

I plopped back, "Well, that's just lame."

"I'm warning you, Sonic. One more word and-"

Tails interrupted by changing the subject. "So, Sonic. How's Amy?"

 _Wait, what?_

"Way to change the subject, bro." I said, a little nervous.

The sly, annoying fox gave a smile and pointed a wrench at me, "We were talking about Knuckles' love life, so why not talk about yours?"

"Now wait just a second, Amy and I are NOT dating. We're friends. Just friends. We're good friends, yes, but we're still just friends." I was rambling. Chaos.

Tails smirked, "Oh really? Friends that go over to the other's house and help in the garden or in the kitchen every day of the week without fail?"

I held up a hand, "First of all, she makes dinner for all of us and I'm just trying to thank her, and second: have you ever pulled weeds by yourself? It's boring as Chaos. And it makes your hands hurt."

"Sonic, that makes no sense."

"The weed thing?"

"No the 'boring as Chaos. Those contradict each other. It's an oxymoron."

"A what?"

"Oxymoron."

"Okay, I get it, I'm an idiot. There's no need to rub it in my face."

"Not a moron. _Oxymoron_. It's a phrase that contradicts itself."

"Isn't that a paradox?"

Tails then launched into a lengthy speech about Oxymorons, but I tuned him out. After living with him for four years, you learn when to pay attention to his nerdy smart-guy lectures and when to let it go in one ear and out the other.

Can't say I wasn't grateful that the subject was successfully changed. I hated it when Tails brought up my changing relationship with Amy. It wasn't that I didn't like our little 'get-togethers,' but I was still unsure of what to think about actually dating someone. Okay, so I'd dated a few girls before, but honestly, they were way too uptight for me to actually, y'know, _like_ them. Any 'relationship' I had before literally lasted about two dates, and then the girl's got sick of me running off to save the world or something like that. Ugh…

Another thing was that, other than the kiss on the cheek from almost a month ago, Amy showed no indication of wanting to actually date me. It could have just been one of those 'moment' situations that's always talked about in those sappy romantic comedies. And I really didn't want to ruin any friendship with the girl that had saved my life on more than one occasion.

Ugh... Why does life have to be so complicated?

"Sonic, are you even listening to me?"

I looked up and gave a sheepish smirk, "Uh, no."

Tails pointed at the door, "Then please, get out. I'm too afraid that one of you is going to say something the other _really_ doesn't like and start smashing things."

"Okay, Mister Mina Mongoose fan club."

"Wha- THAT'S A SECRET!"

Tails shoved us out of his workshop and slammed the door. Knuckles shrugged and we walked down to the house, plopping down on the couch. Knuckles turned on the TV and found some documentary on the Ancients. Thrill a minute.

I groaned slightly, "Does your precious Sofia enjoy this stuff too?"

"Actually, yes. She's also a Montana Badger fan."

"Well, aren't you a cute couple."

"I swear hedgehog, I'll start making comments about you and Amy if you keep this up."

I grinned, "Sorry man, but if it helps, I'm actually kind of happy for you."

The red boy just stared at me for a second. _"What?"_

"Well," I shifted my position and turned the volume down, "the only other girl who has ever shown interest in you is Rouge and let's be honest, you'd kill each other before the first date. Besides, you've actually been a little happier since this chick came into your life. Not as quick a temper, too."

Knuckles chuckled, "You think I'm bad? Wait til you meet Sofi. Her temper makes mine look like a whine."

I let out a low whistle. "That bad?"

"Let me put it this way: We went to pick up her motorcycle from the dealership and-"

"Hold it, you what?"

"The second time we got together, it was a little later in the evening and Sofia sort of forgot I was coming. She apologized like crazy and invited me to come and pick-up her bike."

"This girl… drives a motorcycle."

"Yeah. She's really good too. Showed me some tricks. Anyway, we got to the dealership and the guy who fixed her bike charged her three times the agreed payment. She flipped out and started yelling at the guy. At one point I had to hold her down and drag her away. She was seriously about to attack the dude."

"And this didn't get you angry at all?"

"Oh, I was mad at the guy, but I felt that Sofi had it covered. Eventually, the mechanic agreed to cut his price in half and I paid the extra cost."

I stared at him. "You paid for her bike?"

"What else am I supposed to do with my pay check? The only time I actually spend money is at birthdays for gifts. The rest sort of just sits around doing nothing." Knuckles didn't seem to see anything strange about the experience, so I dropped it.

"Has she ever seen your temper at it's fullest?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Maybe…"

"What happened?"

"Let's just say while we were having a picnic lunch in the park and some idiots interrupted."

"This would be last week's 'get-together'?" I asked as innocently as possible.

Knuckles glared at me, "Yes… I yelled at you, Tails and Cream to leave us alone. Who's idea was it to spy on me, anyway?"

"Actually, it was Tails'. Cream got dragged along and had no idea what we were doing, and I was willing to go along with it."

"Well, along with me yelling at you two idiots and Cream-"

"Why is Cream separate?'

"Some drunk guy came over and started bothering us about ten minutes later. We tried to get him to go away nicely, really. Finally I lost my patience and may have punched him into the next county."

"And what did Miss Sofia think of this?"

"She didn't really say anything for a bit, then commented that I was really strong. Then we went back to our meal like nothing happened."

I smiled, "So let me see if I got this down: pink hedgehog who rides a motorcycle, has a temper of her own that frightens you, is a vegetarian, and doesn't mind when you totally overreact in some situations." I paused and pondered the qualities and smirked, "Sounds like a keeper to me."

"Do you _want_ to talk about Amy?"

"Talk about what now?" a new voice entered the conversation. I paled slightly as the said hedgehog walked in, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

I managed to stumble out a few words, "Um… Amy! I- Uh… We-"

"Hello, Knuckles. How's Sofia?" Amy ignored my outburst and turned her attention to the echidna.

Unlike everyone else, Amy found Sofia a delight in her opinion. _"I'd love to meet her as soon as I can. Anyone who can tame Knuckles has my eternal respect,"_ she had told me during one of our weed pulling sessions.

"She's doing good."

"When's your next date?"

Knuckles glanced at the clock on the wall and sprung to his feet, "Chaos!" He ran out the door without answering the question.

Amy smiled at the sight and placed a bag of groceries on the table, then sat down next to me, "It's so funny to see Knuckles like this. Never thought I'd see the day."

By this point, I had recovered from my embarrassment (mostly) and managed to string words into full sentences, "Yeah, it's definitely something."

"Are you not happy for him?" Amy caught the hesitation in my words and raised an eyebrow.

I shrugged, "It's not that. It's just… I don't really know how to say it."

She smiled, "Just try. I can be a good listener too, right?"

"Where do I start?"

"The beginning. Someone once told me it was the best place to start." Our eyes locked for a second too long.

Hurriedly, I looked down at my hands. "I guess I'm just nervous that Knuckles will sort of forget about us."

"You… Seriously?" Amy smiled and took my hand, "The hedgehog finally admits he cares about the so called, 'Knucklehead'?"

"I don't really know. I guess I've just noticed that through all of my stupid adventures, he's been nearby, even if it's just to pick up the slack when I mess up. He's sort of like… I guess an older brother in some ways." I glanced at her, "Don't you dare repeat that to him."

"I won't. I promise." She squeezed my hand gently. "Anything else?"

"Eh…" I hesitated. "Nothing really important."

"Alright then." Amy stood up and left into the kitchen, calling behind her, "How does chicken sound for tonight?"

"Sounds good." I smiled and leaned back on the couch, listening to the pots and pans clanking around and Amy's humming. Chaos, she had a great voice. Kinda soft, but strong at the same time. Nice. Real nice...

UGH… why does this have to be so _difficult?_

"What was that?" Amy poked her head into the room.

I realized I must have mumbled that last part out loud and cursed myself, "Nothing, Ames. Just thinking out loud."

 **And I think that's a good for this chapter. Honestly, I had no idea what was going to happen during this part so I'm glad with what has come out of it.**

 **Admit it, sometimes you picture Knuckles as Sonic and Tail's older brother, not that any of them would acknowledge it, the stubborn idiots. Honestly, I love the relationship between these three. And to top it all off, a Sonamy moment!**

 **And I just realized how much stinkin' romance we have had these past how many chapters. Really sorry about that, but I'm not false advertising because this story is far from over. Once again, all of these chapters are just building up character relationships and plot points. Sort of like the background info.**

 **So everyone who keeps saying, "I can't wait til Sonia and Manic find Sonic," hate to break it to you but we are nowhere close to that moment… like seriously. I think it's technically about 50+ chapters until they** _ **'officially'**_ **meet each other. But Sonia and Manic find each other a LOT sooner than that, so don't freak out and be like, 'It's a fricken' soap opera!' And that was just a huge spoiler (actually it wasn't… well it sort of was, but it wasn't), but I thought I should let you know.**

 **On the bright side, guess what the next SONIC chapter (so not the next chapter or the chapter after that one, but the one after that one) is going to be about? SHADOW. Oh yes, this is going to be fun.**

 **Please review!**


	16. Mixed Priorities

**Back to Sofi and Knuckles. Let's see how this date at the amusement park will go, shall we?**

 **ultimateCCC: No. Tails does not have a girlfriend in this story. He does have a crush on a popstar and (in the far future) a slight crush on Cream. But Sticks does not appear in this story (unfortunately).**

 **Blue: Yes Shadow! Isn't it wonderful? I have friends who don't do fanfiction either, and there is nothing wrong with it. (I've been scarred by some fics. I'd rather not dwell on that right now…) Unofficial big brother! I really hope we get to elaborate on that.** _ **(Oh, we will, Era. I'm gonna have so much fun when Manic comes into the picture…)**_

 **Maxi-T: The wait is over! (then again maybe not. You may have been talking about Shadow showing up.)**

 **Autumn: Is he really? Note to self: watch more Sonic Boom.** _ **(Eh, I can see him like that in the Boom universe. Personally for Boom, I'd ship Knuckles and Rouge if she ever showed up; Knuckles, being the big teddy bear he is, would definitely be able to tame her.)**_

 **Zosonils: I don't feel bad for Knuckles either, but laughed my head off. That's sort of the point… They are so close it's so Chaos FRUSTRATING. Well, everyone has their opinions, and I respect all of them. I love Sonamy… Shadow! Not now, but later! (perhaps much later…)**

 **Gwencarson126: I'm yelling at Sonic to move on too. Seriously, just ask the gal out already! Then again, I am writing him so… Yeah.** _ **(Yeah Sonic, you're supposed to be this big confident ladies man. ASK HER OUT! AND MAKE IT ROMANTIC!)**_

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: I knew everyone was going to be like: yay! Shadow! But I didn't expect this much feedback. I do love Shadow though, and I'm not complaining.**

 **Caisha12: Yellow! That made perfect sense. It's so frustrating!** _ **(And that's why it's so much fun to write. Hee hee hee…)**_

 **StarlightSparks: Thanks! I'm glad you are enjoying the pacing, because I know some people who don't like long plots. (here's a secret: the pacing is going to take FOREVER. I'm trying to shorten it and have. Believe me.** _ **(Believe her.)**_ **As for Sonic with his powers… Okay, so Chaotic abilities in this fic are a little hard to explain. If you haven't read 'Miles from Home' go and find it and read the Author's Note at the end of the chapter labeled, "Chaos, it's an Emerald?" Then if you still have questions, I'll PM you to explain it. It's confusing.** _ **(Yeah, she had to explain it to me like five times for me to get it. You're not alone in your confusion on the properties of Chaos.)**_

Sofia's POV:

The soft knock on my door alerted that Knuckles had finally arrived. I did a quick check in the mirror, before berating myself. _'We're just friends. Calm down.'_ But I still fixed my headband, pulled at my red shirt, and checked my designer jeans for tears.

I opened the door and gave the echidna a smile, "You're late."

Shyly, Knuckles looked at the ground, "Sorry, I got distracted."

"Let me guess… was it this Sonic character I'm always hearing over the phone?" I grabbed my purse and closed the door behind me.

"You guessed it," he grinned. "The hedgehog won't stop bugging me about you."

"And why is that?" I asked as we entered the elevator.

Knuckles hit the ground floor and shrugged, "Seems to think you'd like to meet him."

The doors closed with a small thud and the room began to descend, "And why would he think that?" I smiled and peered in my purse, making sure I didn't forget anything.

"Have you ever heard of Sonic the Hedgehog?"

My face scrunched up in confusion and pondered the question. After a second, I vaguely recalled the name from some conversation at school. "Isn't he some kind of hero of GUN or something like that?"

"Pretty much," Knuckles just stood with his arms crossed, watching the numbers count down until we stopped with a ding. "He's got a bit of an ego problem."

I laughed and the doors opened. We exited the elevator and went out of the building. "Certainly sounds like it."

Knuckles chuckled. "What can I say? But he's an old...um…"

"Friend?"

"I wouldn't say friend, he annoys me too much. But ally would work."

I pulled out my keys and walked over to where my motorcycle was parked. Awkwardly, Knuckles cleared his throat, "Um… I took the bus here so I don't have my Extreme Gear board."

Last week at the park, Knuckles had introduced me to his flying hoverboard that was his main use of transportation. Imagine my surprise as a red echidna seemed to swoop out of the sky right in front of me. He even let me have a go on it and then demanded if I'd ever ridden one of them before. To his surprise and shock, I promised I hadn't. It was after that experience that I decided I needed to be a little more careful about using my abilities around Knuckles.

The last thing I wanted was him thinking I was some kind of freak. I mean, how many people would like a freak? Not a lot, and this guy was probably no exception. Okay, so he could punch, but maybe he just worked out at a gym every day.

Anyway, I swung my leg over and scooted forward, patting behind me. "Plenty of room for you on the back. Come on. I am NOT taking the bus. The last time I did, I got stuck in a three-hour traffic jam."

Knuckles laughed and got on. I started the engine and looked up ahead. "You might want to hang on."

"I might to wha- WOAH!" Knuckles hurriedly grabbed my waist as I shot out of the garage and weaved through traffic. "ARE YOU CRAZY?"

I smirked and sped up. "Oh come on, don't you trust me?"

"YES, OF COURSE, BUT THIS IS INSANE!" Knuckles held on for dear life as we turned a sharp right.

Five minutes later, we pulled up in front of the amusement park. I got off the bike and shook my hair loose, pulling my headband out then replacing it. "That was fun."

Knuckles didn't move, but just stared at me, "You have a problem." He got up and walked over to the park entrance. I frowned and followed.

"Sorry, but I like a little bit of excitement. I've had a dull life thus far."

The echidna paid for two tickets and we walked in. "Well, I don't like to think I'm going to die on the streets. So next time, _please_ calm down on the steering."

"Come on, where's your sense of adventure?" I smirked and gently poked him.

Knuckles glared, "I like treasure hunts, not crazy adrenaline rushes!" He took a deep breath, and shook his head, "Look, let's just move on. What do you want to do first?"

Deciding it was probably wise to move on from our disagreement, I looked around. "Well, we could do a ride, or a carnival game."

"Or get food." Knuckles added as he nodded over to a concession stand.

Actually, now that he mentioned it, I _was_ hungry. "Food sounds amazing right now."

The two of us got some popcorn and cotton candy then sat down at a small picnic table. We chatted about the weather and the food, but there was this awkward tension between the two of us. I guess I could see why Knuckles was a little angry, but hey, I didn't know he'd have such an issue with my riding. No need to flip out.

After we finished our food, Knuckles suggested that we play some of the games. Personally, I felt like going on some of the roller coasters, but I'm not against playing a good old-fashioned rigged carnival game.

First up was the bottle toss. After paying the carnie for three tries, Knuckles pitched the ring at the bottle, it landing on top of one of the bottle necks… then bouncing off. The next two tries were exactly the same, ending in me needing to drag Knuckles off before he tore that poor college kid apart.

I kicked butt at the rifle range, beating Knuckles fifteen to three in twenty seconds. He was kind of sore at that, but cheered up when he won the ball toss on his first try- and accidently took out the back wall with his ball's impact. Initially, the carnie wouldn't give him his prize because he wrecked part of the game, but quickly changed his mind when Knuckles brandished the trademark barbs on his fists.

The games got boring after a little while, and we ended up just walking around most of the fairgrounds talking. Our conversation started innocent enough, but it somehow evolved into a heated debate on whether or not it was possible to win a rigged game.

"I'm telling you, it can happen! Not often, but every once in a while, sure." said Knuckles.

"They are _literally_ built so that you can never win. It's how these goons get their paychecks," I said.

The park was going to close soon, and I was getting tired of us bickering. Most of the games and rides had shut down or were in the process, so we were running out of options.

"Look, let's just drop it." I said, holding my hands up in surrender. "How about we go on a ride before the park closes?"

"Most of the rides are down."

"Not that one," I said, pointing to the Ferris wheel. Knuckles looked to where my finger was pointing and froze, a wary expression his face.

"I dunno…" he mumbled.

"Oh come on, it's not scary at all. Besides, it'll be fun!" He tried to protest, but I dragged him into line anyway. It was only us and two other couples, so we got the next ride.

I pulled Knuckles' arm and he reluctantly got in the seat. The door shut and the safety bar was lowered.

As we started to go up, I leaned out slightly to see the horizon better. "See, it's a pretty view."

The echidna tightened his grip on the railing. "That's what I'm afraid of."

"What?" I asked a little confused.

"I'm… I'm afraid of heights."

Now a lot of things started to make sense. "But you ride a hoverboard!"

"Well, I'm sorry, but just because I ride something doesn't mean I like it!"

Annoyed, I folded my arms and glared, "You could have told me!"

"I tried! You wouldn't let me talk!"

"Oh, well I'm, _sooo_ sorry that I thought you were just being a jerk who didn't want to do anything fun!"

"Me? What kind of girl drives in _crowded traffic_ like you did?"

"Someone who's had a boring life, that's who!"

We were about halfway to the top at this point, but neither of us were paying attention to the view, but glaring at one another.

Knuckles rolled his eyes, "You lived in a small town, so what?"

"So what! My parents died when I was six!"

"Well, news flash! My dad disappeared when I was ten and I don't know what happened to my mom. So you're not the only one with a sob story, princess."

My mouth dropped open, too stunned to talk.

He raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"

And I think that's when my anger snapped, "Look, I'm sorry. There! I said it! I'M SORRY! I didn't know you'd react like that, so don't freak out at me because I was so naive about your delicate little feelings! I would have slowed down if I knew! I'm a _southern girl!_ I don't understand you uptight city folk!"

Suddenly, the ride jerked to a stop at the very top. A low voice came over the intercom informing us that the ride had malfunctioned and that they were attempting to find the problem.

Knuckles slumped in his seat. "I knew we shouldn't have gone on this thing."

I glared at him, "Oh, shut up."

"Well, _sorry_ if I hurt your feelings, but I'm not exactly a social person either. I have no idea how to act around people! So don't go and blame me for this problem!"

"Are you saying this is _my_ fault?" I demanded.

"Hey, if the shoe fits."

Whirling around, I pointed at the echidna, shaking my finger, "I ought to throw you off this cart right now, but I ain't gonna! You know why? Cause _you ain't worth it!_ "

"Oh please, what you think of me isn't worth my time. I don't need to care about what you have to say either!"

We glared at each other, faces bright red and pulled into a fierce scowl.

After a moment, I spoke again, "So I guess it's true what they say about redheads. Bad temper issues."

"I'm the one with temper issues? Well, I guess what they say about fashionistas are true too. You're all a bunch of self-centered divas."

"What did you call me?" I demanded angrily.

"A _Diva_! D-I-V-A!"

"Well, aren't you just a knucklehead!" I knocked on his head, rather hard.

Knuckles growled and his fists bunched up. "If you weren't a girl, I would have slugged you by now."

I scoffed, "I'd like to see you try, pointy-hands."

"Sorry, your highness, but I think you'd lose that fight."

"You wanna bet?" I punched him in the arm, hard. "You're not the only one who knows how to fight, thank you very much."

We fiercely stared the other down (or at least tried to). Finally, I growled. "You're such a Knucklehead."

"Well, you're a snobby princess!'

"Jerk!"

"Diva!"

"Idiot!"

Knuckles just gave out an angry scream and I screamed back.

If anyone asked me what happened next, I wouldn't have been able to tell them clearly. One second we were sitting nose to nose with angry expressions at each other, the next thing I knew the two of us had our arms around the other and were locked in a kiss.

Now let me point out, that I had never kissed a guy before this. Like, ever. So I guess I now had something to add to the game of two truths and a lie. "My first kiss was on top of a ferris wheel after screaming insults at the guy." Go figure.

My brain went a little fuzzy at that point. I felt the car jolt slightly and pulled myself away from the echidna, my face red with embarrassment. We were moving again.

Knuckles stared at me, the shock evident on his face. "Uh… I- uh…"

That was all either of us said as we descended back down. At the bottom one of the park agents apologized for the thirty minute long wait and gave us both a free ice cream cone for our trouble. My mind sort of zoned out at the words, 'thirty minute long wait'. Had we really been up there that long?

No words were exchanged until we were out of the park and standing next to my bike.

Knuckles started the conversation, rather awkwardly, "I swear, I don't know what came over me. Really sorry about that."

I fingered my purse strap nervously. "No, I'm sorry. It was my fault. I was being stubborn, and-"

"No, I should have told you what was wrong. I'm used to staying quiet when I have my problems. It's my issues, no one else's, so... I guess I just think that no one will care."

A small smile appeared, "No, I shouldn't have been so pushy. It's just that... my whole life, I've _had_ to be pushy to my Uncle or nothing would ever happen the way I wanted it to. But you're not my Uncle." I shrugged, "I guess we both have things to learn about social situations."

Knuckles chuckled, "Such as, 'don't kiss a girl you were just yelling at'." He smiled, which turned into a look of regret, "Sorry I called you a diva. You're actually one of the nicest people I know."

I blushed, "I'm sorry too. My temper can get the better of me sometimes."

"Join the club."

Our eyes locked for a second, before I smiled and brushed a stray hair back behind my ear. "So… do you want a ride?"

Knuckles gave me a look and I laughed, "Relax, I'll go easy this time."

His expression softened and the smile reappeared, "Sounds good to me."

* * *

We pulled up to a pretty good sized house with a white picket fence out front and a shop in the back. Knuckles smiled and got off the bike, "Thanks for the ride, Sofi."

"Anytime, Knux."

"So… are we still on for next week? Or would you rather take a break?"

I hesitated, then smiled, "No, we're still on. Come by my place at five. We can go to this cool restaurant I found and the walk around the park afterwards."

"Sounds like a plan."

On an impulse, I stood up and gave him a quick hug. Knuckles was a little surprised at first, but he hugged me back, smiling as we pulled away.

The echidna was about to say something when out of nowhere, a loud voice suddenly chanted out, "KNUCKLES HAS A GIRLFRIEND, KNUCKLES HAS A- _OW!_ Amy! That hurt!"

"Don't you know when NOT to interrupt? Grow up already!"

I smiled and peered at the two shadows on the porch, unable to make out the exact features. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that's Sonic."

Knuckles had turned an even brighter red than he already was. "Yeah, ignore him. He's an idiot."

Boldly, I smiled, "Maybe… but maybe not." Before he could respond, I gave the shocked boy a quick peck on the cheek. Turning away quickly, I swung a leg over the side of my bike and gave a small wave, "See you next week!"

The engine roared and I tore off down the street.

* * *

When I reached my apartment that evening, I shut the door and leaned against it. Part of me wanted to start squealing like the girl I was while the other part of me wanted to slap myself.

Honestly, what the Chaos was I thinking? A relationship was something I did not need right now. Finding Manic was the top priority right now, not some incredibly cute echidna who made me feel like I was on Cloud Nine.

Ugh!

I shoved my handbag onto the side table and stared at myself in the small mirror. "Get it together, Sonia. You're not Sofi, you are _Sonia_. Sonia Aleena Hedgehog, who isn't some dumb chick who falls for a random guy she met by running into him on the street." I grabbed my keys and went to my room to get ready for bed.

But unfortunately, my thoughts just couldn't stop drifting back to Knuckles. Yeah, he was a hot-head, but so was I. And to be honest, I didn't really think much of him at first, but over the past few weeks I had started to notice a few things that hadn't stuck out at me before. For one, he was kind enough to pay the difference on my bike when that jerky salesman raised the price. And he would defend a lady when she was threatened by some drunk idiot (even if she didn't need defending, to be perfectly honest). Overall, a really nice guy.

And if I was being very honest with myself, I actually enjoyed the kiss on the ferris wheel. _Shut up, me. Manic is the top priority._

 _Right?_

 **Okay, before some of you flip out and say, 'You said there wasn't going to be kisses and hugs with this couple!' First of all, I didn't say that. Second of all, calm down!**

 **I said that the main love languages with them would be gift-giving and quality time, not the ONLY love language. So yes, there will be a few small kisses and hugs with all of the couples. Also, this is how I write my 'romance' scenes. You get a vague description of what happens and if you want, you can add in the colors. This is just because, I really hate the detailed descriptions of that stuff. It's just DISGUSTING.**

 **Halo… well, I have no idea how she writes them, so she's in charge of Manic and Rouge's… interactions.**

 _ **Relax, Era, I'm all for PG love scenes. The main difference between Manic and Rouge's romantic synergy as opposed to the other couple's is that they express their love in a more physical manner, because when it comes to compliments and stuff, lying just comes WAY too easily to those two. Words are cheap, but allowing someone to even be in close physical proximity to you is a sign of vulnerability**_ _ **(and neither Rouge nor Manic have any desire to EVER be perceived as weak or vulnerable, at least not to the general public). That's a level of trust that you wouldn't have at all except with someone you're very close to emotionally. The other couples will obviously have that type of physical trust as well, but it's simply more prominent in Manic and Rouge's relationship than everyone else's.**_

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Please review!**


	17. Sass and Class

**It's Halo's chapter, I know. But I do need to say this: You guys are amazing! Seriously! I'm shocked at how positive the reviews were. We got a lot of support and I can honestly say that I was expecting at least one horrible review and didn't get one. Some of you may have been tempted to leave one, but I'm so very grateful that you resisted the urge. Okay, now Halo can take over.**

 _ **Surprise! Turns out me and Era waaay overestimated how long it would take us to pump out another chapter, so you guys are getting a chapter before the end of the year! Thank you all so much for not being haters- with the experiences I've had in the past regarding disgruntled fanfic readers, I was so worried that at least one of you were going to rage-quit this story. Y'all are the best!**_

 _ **Comments!**_

 _ **Juancastri111: You shall be remembered.**_ **[How could we forget one of our reviewers? I remember Mina, but she isn't one of those popular characters.]**

 _ **UltimateCCC: … I don't know how to respond to that.**_ **[...um… I'm with Halo.]**

 _ **Doomxdesire94: Thanks for the support!**_ **[... can I just hug you? No wait, that's creepy. Forget I said that. But thank you so much! I'm so glad you are enjoying the story.]**

 _ **Zosonils: Thank you so much for the review and the support! You rock, Zosonils!**_ **[Australia does that? That makes SO MUCH SENSE. Note to self: write to congress. Then again it will never be read so never mind. I do love my co-writer. Anyway, I'm totally cheering that whole 'Knuckles has a girlfriend' with you so don't worry. And no. They don't break up. *spoiler comment*]**

 _ **StarlightSparks: Aw, thanks!**_ **[Yay! Miles from Home! I'll PM you a little less complicated explanation to the Chaos thing when I get time. Promise. Thank you so much!]**

 _ **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Thanks for the offer! It didn't sound weird, I promise.**_ **[Not weird at all. Thank you so much!**

 _ **Blue: Dang, that's harsh.**_ **[...wow I am so selfish. My apologies.]**

 _ **Autumn: Thank you for understanding.**_ **[I hate Knuckles in Sonic Boom… Thank you for your support!]**

 _ **Keep in mind, though, that these chapters are still going to be very slow-going. We'll probably be working on two or three at once to speed up the process, but don't expect any more than one every two to four weeks, circumstances permitting.**_

 _ **No more waiting! Onward!**_

Matthews's POV:

Rouge continued her interviews all that week. Turns out, she wasn't just using it as an excuse to interrogate me, as I had previously suspected.

I found myself hanging around the pawn shop's back room more and more often, even skipping out on prime opportunities for people-reading. Rouge had gone through just about every intimate member of the gang (we actually had dozens more members floating around the city- you just know the ones in our inner circle). I was still sorta confused by it all, but figured that it didn't really matter, long as I could hang around Rouge without her trying to smack me around- professionalism and junk like that.

I was hanging around outside the meeting room as usual, waiting for Rouge to finish up so that I could hound her for a date like I had been doing all week. Every time she told me to drop dead only made me that much more determined to snag that date with her. But I wanted to keep it quiet; this wasn't something I really wanted to brag about to the guys.

Sitting in the chair in front of the busted-up TV set blaring some plotless sitcom, I only half-heartedly paid attention to the stupid things the characters were doing.

"Oh, come on Angelica!" I shouted at the screen. "You know Brad ain't the one for you! Go with Terrence, dang it!"

"Dude, shut up and quit yelling at the TV," said Curtis, who was sitting at the other end of the couch. He had just barely finished up with his interview not even an hour before and had opted to stick around the shop with me. I sensed that he was beginning to regret it.

Waiting for Rouge to get done was boring, even with the TV on and Curtis keeping me company. I felt myself getting fidgety and anxious; I _hated_ sitting still. When was she gonna be done?

Inattentively drumming my fingers on the arm of the couch, I stared off into space, only vaguely aware of the colors and sounds emanating from the television set. I wished that something exciting would happen, like a fight or something.

"So how was your interview?" I asked Curtis, not really caring but just looking for someone to talk to.

"It was okay. She just asked me a bunch of random questions about my criminal tendencies and how long I had been in the gang and stuff. What about you?"

"Oh, she was totally hitting on me. It was so obvious."

Curtis raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Just the way she looks at me, I just know that she likes me, y'know?"

"No. No I don't."

"Well…" I said, leaning back and smiling at the ceiling. " _I_ think she likes me."

Curtis sort of stared at me for a minute, then slapped himself in the forehead and letting out a string of unusually creative curse words.

"Aw, you've gotta be kidding me!" he burst out, rather loudly.

"What?"

" _You!_ " he fumed. "I don't believe this! You've got the hots for Rouge!"

So much for keeping it quiet. "Pssh, come on, man." I smirked, holding up my arms in defense. "Me? Be serious."

"So you're telling me you _don't_ like her."

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm...OH, IT'S TRUE!" I exclaimed out of the blue, throwing up my hands. "I'M IN LOVE, I'M SO, SO IN LOVE!"

Grabbing Curtis's shoulder and squeezing it, I stared off into the distance, beaming. "I've known it since the day she put me in a headlock and made me say uncle. I mean, wow! What a babe!" Turning to face Curtis with a frantic expression, I seized him by both shoulders and looked him in the eye.

"I think she's the one, man." I said slowly and seriously. "Couldn't you just be happy for me?"

He groaned, massaging the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. "Well, y'know Matthews, I _would_ be happy for you, except for just one tiny problem, _SHE'S ROUGE!_ " he shouted suddenly, making me jump. "This is a girl who's so far out of your league, she's in orbit! Look at her the wrong way and you may as well slit your wrists right now! _Now can we please get back to reality?_ "

"I know, I know!" I replied, holding my head. "It could never work! But-"

"Dude, have I taught you _nothing?_ " Curtis interrupted. "Rouge is trouble! And not even the normal amount of trouble, either- she's the type of girl who'll drive a knife through your back while you kiss her then loot your pockets for cash when you're dead!"

My temper flared up at this. "And how would _you_ know that, smart guy?"

" 'Cuz that's her _job,_ Matthews _._ She is a government agent who is paid to make you think she's your friend when in reality she's stealing you blind. Tell me, Matt- has she made any romantic advances with you?"

"Well, not exactly, but-"

"Have _you_ made any romantic advance with _her?_ "

"It depends on how you define 'advances', but-"

Curtis groaned loudly. "You're dead, you're dead, you're so, so dead…"

"Dude, shut up. I am not."

"Five bucks, Matt," said Curtis. "Five bucks says that she's gonna get mad and get you alone so that she can tear you apart with no witnesses."

"I'll take that bet."

Barely a moment after I said it, my ears perked up at the sound of an opening door and I turned around. Ears protruded from from the meeting room, looking dazed and a little wary. Rouge followed close behind, clutching her clipboard with a look of stern sophistication etched on her features, her lips pursed and her expression cold. I opened my mouth, a quip right on the tip of my tongue, but she beat me to the mark.

"You're next." she said simply, gesturing me over.

"Sorry if it slipped your mind, angel, but you already interviewed me."

"Mr. Hedgehog, I believe _I'm_ the one conducting these interviews. Now, I'll say it again, slowly- _You're next._ "

"Alrighty." I got up from the couch, eying Curtis and shrugging. He shook his head slightly; I sensed he couldn't tell whether to be disdainful or satisfied with himself for being right. He mouthed the word _'bye'_ to me and I rolled my eyes.

Following Rouge back into the meeting room, I plopped myself down in the chair I had sat in last time, crossing my arms and smirking.

" _So…_ " I said, wiggling an eyebrow.

"So what?" Rouge asked flatly.

"Come on, babe. We both know you don't need to interview me more than once. What's up?"

Rouge glared at me, then sighed, slamming her clipboard down on the table. "Okay creep, here's the deal," she glowered, looking me straight in the eye. "So last time it might have slipped my mind to ask you the questions I was supposed to-"

"Because of my disarmingly good looks?"

"Because I couldn't stand to be around your for one more minute."

Ouch. "Aw, you don't mean that."

"Mr. Hedgehog, I assure you, I mean it with _every ounce of my being._ " she growled through gritted teeth. "Like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I brought you back in here because I was instructed to thoroughly interview every inner member of the Strikers, and unfortunately, you qualify as one. Now, I suggest that you shut that quippy little mouth of yours before it gets you in trouble. _Capishe?_ "

"...Yes, ma'am."

Despite her dead serious tone and adequate excuse for coming back, I could tell that there seemed to be an alternate reason for her being here, but… I couldn't quite see what it was. Her mind was heavily guarded, as if she knew that I could read her. But even just a glance at her told me that that wasn't even a possibility.

Her questions were pretty standard: how long had I been a gang member (about five and a half years), how many times had I visited the inside of the slammer (Lost count about three years ago), etcetera. I didn't really see how any of this could relate to a GUN investigation, but then again, I didn't work for GUN.

"... and what exactly do you contribute to the gang's profitability?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, I'm a thief."

She raised an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"

"I dunno. What do you want me to elaborate on?"

"Well, what is your exact job description? Do you have any thieving strategies you use, or do you just wing it during jobs? Do you have any other skills besides just stealing?"

"Hey, hey, hey, slow down, angel. One question at a time, if you please." I tried to remember her questions; she had been talking so quickly that I was still trying to process everything she just said.

She sighed. "Let me start over. Do you have any particular strategies you use for stealing?"

I thought hard. Technically, _yes_ , I did, but there was no way I was letting her know about my people-reading thing, and any pickpocket worth his salt knows how to work the art of misdirection to his advantage. That's nothing special- you honest people just think it is.

"Uh… not really." I lied. It's pretty easy to lie. Just don't look in the person's eyes; look at the spot between their eyebrows and above their nose. They'll think you're genuine and it's harder to be found out when they think you're for real.

Rouge stared at me a minute as if she wasn't sure whether to believe me or not, but shook her head and moved on. "What sort of skills do you possess other than direct stealing or pickpocketing, if any?"

If any? Do I hear the nasty whispers of doubt? Please, I've got more skills than this girl could imagine.

"Well, let's see, where to begin…" I said in mock-thoughtfulness. "I can hack computers with 128-bit encryption software, I've been able to drive practically anything on wheels since I was thirteen, I can pick Grade 1 security locks, I've been able to crack TL-15 _**and**_ TL-30 safes, one of which had a Class M lock-"

"Okay, okay!" Rouge interjected, feverishly scribbling down my answer. I wasn't lying, believe it or not. I'm pretty proud of my technical prowess; crime is one of the only things that seems to come naturally to me, and I've spent years learning from the best and honing my thieving skills to near-expert level. I wouldn't give myself any credit I don't deserve. Besides, fifth grade dropouts usually have a lot of free time on their hands when they aren't evading the truant officers. I had to do _something_ productive or I would've gone insane from boredom (and when you'd rather be in school, that's when you know that maybe you should jazz up your extracurriculars).

"Anything else? I got more," I said smugly. It's true, I did (I hadn't even gotten to the bits about my fighting skills). Rouge paused her note taking and glimpsed at me with an unreadable expression, then returned to writing.

She asked me a few more questions after that, just more cookie-cutter interrogations that I answered with ease. I figured she'd been done by now, so when another pause came in her questions, I got up to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked sharply.

"What, you're not done yet? How many questions do you have?"

"That's my business. Now sit down. I'll tell you when we're through."

"Pretty sure it's my business, too. How do you know I haven't been lying through my teeth this whole time?"

If the expression 'shooting daggers' was ever meant to be taken literally, I would've been stabbed dead by now. The hate in her eyes radiated so strongly that I was beginning to feel the urge to run in case she decided that I was more useful to her when I was buried six feet under. But behind that shield of contempt, I sensed a faint twinge of fondness that she was doing a very, very good job of hiding.

"Tell me, Mr. Hedgehog, have you ever been an asset in a burglary heist?"

"Duh, yes."

"Have any of those heists ever involved breaking and entering an official building, such as a museum or bank?"

"A couple times, yeah. Didn't really take much, though."

"Why not?"

"Well, not the bank. I emptied like four safes the last time I paid the a bank a visit. I just didn't take anything from the museums."

"Again, why not?"

"Eh…" How do I explain this? "Okay, see, what happened was that I kinda-sorta-maybe snuck into the museum in the dead of night and kinda-sorta-maybe disabled the security systems and cameras and kinda-sorta-maybe drew mustaches and devil horns on all the people in the paintings. Maybe."

Rouge gaped at me. "... And what exactly possessed you to do this, pray tell?"

"I dunno. I got bored."

"So you broke into a museum to vandalize priceless art because you were _bored?_ "

"I have my hobbies, you have yours."

She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but she just shook her head, looking confused and little disgusted. I was getting used to that reaction by now.

"Moving on… what are you best at stealing? Do you prefer to take cash money or do you prefer actual items, such as jewels or artifacts?"

"Eh, I only take cash when the boss man tells me to. If I ever need something that normal people would pay for, I'll just shoplift it."

"So you prefer to steal jewels and items, then."

"Items, yes. Jewels, definitely no. I hate jewels."

Rouge looked affronted. " _What?_ "

"Uh, yeah. I don't like jewels. Like, at all."

"Why not?"

"I…" The image of Locke's bleeding body sprawled out on the gritty asphalt flashed through my mind, him doing anything to protect that _emerald_ , the one that, when I held it, made me feel like my insides were on fire, like I was going to evaporate in flame if I let it near me.

Locke died because of that stupid jewel.

"... I just don't, okay?" I said quietly, studying my shoes. I felt Rouge's eyes boring into the side of my head and beads of sweat began to form at my hairline.

"So like, you're just gonna give your future wife like a plastic ring from a gumball machine or something?" she demanded, incredulous.

I raised an eyebrow. "My, aren't we forward today."

You hear about people turning bright red, but you never think it actually happens in real life. I can testify that it does. Rouge stiffened and her orangey-tan complexion flushed crimson, creeping up the sides of her face and turning her pristine white fur a tinge pink.

"I-I didn't- you… no!" she sputtered. "I-I wasn't meaning it like… _that._ "

I grinned impishly at her. "Just messing with you, angel. Don't sweat it."

Rouge looked as if she wanted to kick me out of the meeting room again like last time, but seemed to reconsider, taking a few short breaths and allowing her face to regain its natural coloring.

"Alright then… are you uncomfortable with just stealing jewels, or just being around them in general? Like, being in the same room as one?" I heard her mutter under her breath something that sounded suspiciously like '... _ya freaking weirdo'._

"I don't care about being in the same room as a jewel. I just don't like holding or handling them."

"... Fair enough." said Rouge, eying me strangely. I couldn't pin that expression; was it fascination? Scrutiny? Did I have something on my face?

The two of us sat in silence for a bit longer, Rouge scratching down a few more notes. I absentmindedly began tapping my foot on the ground, my fingers quickly following suit.

"So… are we done yet?" I asked impatiently. Her pencil's rapid movement paused and Rouge glowered up at me. Guess we're not, then. Forget I asked.

I waited a few more minutes, counting the ceiling tiles and resisting the urge to jump out of my seat and start walking around.

I was seriously considering the possibility of bolting and hoping she wouldn't catch me when finally she set down her pencil and looked me in the eye, sighing.

"Alright scumbucket, here's the deal-" she said dryly, folding her hands in front of her. "This isn't really official GUN business, but…"

I perked up. "Whaddaya mean?"

"It's technically something that I'm not supposed to do since I became an agent. I could get in a lot of trouble if I got caught."

"I'm listening."

She clenched her teeth and averted her eyes. "As much as I hate to say it… I need your help. With a heist."

"What kind of heist?"

"Well… you know that one huge jewelry store uptown, Stephanie's? They just put on display a Loose Unheated Blue Cushion Sapphire, worth approximately $99,985. I want it."

"Great. So you want it. How does this involve me, exactly?"

"I'm not finished yet," she said, her brow furrowing in frustration. "This is a two person job. Stephanie's may not look like it, but it has one of the top security systems of any building in the city, besides GUN headquarters. They have billions of dollars worth of jewels there, each individually protected by a complex combination of high-security locks and alarms."

"Again, how does this involve me?"

"Well.." Rouge cracked a smirk. "If you're as good of a hacker that you claim to be, then your job will be to shut down the system temporarily so that I can get in, swipe the jewel, and get out without tripping any alarms or being caught on surveillance. I'd do it myself, except that I can't hack the system and steal the jewel at the same time."

"What's in it for me?" I asked suspiciously.

"Hmm, lemme think." said Rouge in mock-thoughtfulness. "How about… I let you live?"

"Okay. That's fair."

"Glad you think so. Meet me at exactly twelve o'clock tonight in front of the deli on Gerald Avenue. I'll tell you the rest of the plan then."

"Sounds good." I replied. "See ya tonight, angel."

"Would you quit calling me that?"

"No can do. Sorry… angel."

 _ **And there you have it! Manic's flirting is unfiltered as always, Rouge is lightening up just the tiniest bit, and you got to have a preview of Manic's technical skills (you'll see them first-hand in his next chapter). While Sonic might have his speed and Sonia her strength, neither can compete with Manic when it comes to technology.**_

 _ **So the next chapter (Sonic) will be coming soon, but after that, like I said at the top, new chapters will be slow-going. Be patient, guys.**_

 _ **Also, a little shameless self-promotion: I have set up a DeviantArt page and posted several artworks, including the cover art for The Long Road Home!**_

 _ **URL: www.**_

 _ **Please go check out my page and, if you have an account, leave a comment. I am ALWAYS up for constructive criticism.**_

 **I love our cover art… No, I'm not ashamed of admitting that. Now I just have to upload it… Also, I can't get over the fact that the jewel thief and the anti-jewel thief are going to steal a jewel. Anyway, the next chapter is practically done so expect an update in at least two weeks (I think.) Next up is the thing you've all been waiting for: SHADOW. Review please!**


	18. Shadow the Hedgehog

**Don't give me that look. You knew this was coming. Sonic and Shadow… oh where do we start? First, reviews!**

 **StarlightSparks: Manic is Scourge… I think my brain just vomited. Hate that guy.** _ **(I don't! Scourge is best villain! Your opinion means nothing, Era! SCOURGEY, DON'T LISTEN TO HER!)**_ **Don't care if you think its speculation, because I'm still going to say: Thank you for the compliment! I'm really hoping we're getting Manic's personality right. Thanks for the support! You're amazing!**

 **ultimateCCC: Sounds like one to me to, but I think Rouge would deny until the day she died.**

 **Zosonils: I love positive reviews! I'd say that three times, but I think Halo might hit me.** _ **(I love positive reviews! I love positive reviews! I love positive reviews! Ha, beat you to it.)**_ **Anyway, the updates are still going to be slow. I just happened to have this chapter almost done when school started so I only needed about a half to a full hour to finish it. As for the whole, 'stealing each other's hearts'… Have you been reading our outline? *face palm* Mania… Oh Chaos, I'm going to go hit something right now. Hope you enjoy** _ **Miles from Home**_ **!**

 **gwencarson126: I am doing pretty well in life, thank you. Hope you're doing well too.**

 **Quantum27: Yeah, figured that out. We'll fix it in this chapter.**

 **Autumn: Manic the ladies man… eh, I think I like 'Thief Extraordinaire' better.**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: I wonder to! Not. Let's see if you saw this coming.**

 **Um… Okay so how do I put this? I really, really, really, love these two as rivals. And especially in this story. To those who have read 'Miles from Home' you know that in this universe, Sonic has a very similar backstory to Shadow, yet the two are polar opposites. And that's what we're going to focus on this chapter. Also, I get to introduce you into a joke between my sisters and me. You'll see…**

 **And then we have another headcanon of mine at the end of this chapter. Yay!**

 **Recommended song:** _ **Elevated by State Champs**_ **AND** _ **Rise by Skillet**_

Sonic's POV:

"Ready, Faker?"

Shadow glared at me, "Are we seriously going to do this again?" He asked in his bored monotone.

I just smirked and stretched out my legs. "Are you afraid of losing?"

"No," he folded his arms and glared, "but no matter how many times we race, there is no final outcome."

With my signature smirk, I raised an eyebrow at the hedgehog, "Meaning…?"

"If I beat you, it is most likely that you will beat me next time. If you beat me, then it is most likely that I will beat you next time. It is pointless."

Amy called out from the sidelines, "He has a point! You're tied right now one hundred and two to one hundred and two."

Then I rolled my eyes, "Then let's get this race started! Tails, are you ready on your end?"

A crackled voice came from the other end of the course on my wrist communicator, _"You bet! Camera is ready for the photo-finish."_

Shadow huffed, "Do we really need that?"

"Duh. Otherwise it just looks like a tie to the naked eye." I crouched down in a runner's position. "Come on, faker. You know you want to."

"I would rather be at the shooting range." Shadow replied dryly.

"Faker…" I pleaded with large eyes, imploring him to race.

"If it will make you shut up, then I will do it. But under protest."

I made the motion of zipping my lips and Shadow sighed, exasperated. On the sidelines stood Amy and Rouge ready to start the race while Knuckles, Tails, and Cream sat at the end of the track.

The track itself was about forty miles. Ten through the city, ten through the forest outside the city, ten on a highway, and finally ten miles through the city again which ended at my house, where we had lemonade and chili dogs waiting (what? I get hungry after a good run).

Shadow nodded at me, indicating he was ready.

I saluted Amy, who raised a starting pistol, "Alright boys, remember. It's a race, not a fight." She looked at Shadow, "Which means no teleporting or chaos powers. Any questions?"

"Can we start already?" Shadow demanded, annoyed.

Rouge fluttered her wings slightly, "Well, there's no need to get crabby. And Shadow," she smiled, "Try and have a good time." Her partner only grunted in return.

Amy smiled, "Good luck to both of you! Take your mark…"

Shadow crouched down next to me and glanced in my direction. I smirked and to my surprise, he smirked back. Before I could comment, the starting gun rang out and the two of us took off leaving only blurs behind.

Can I just say that running with Shadow is one of the strangest, yet coolest things in the world?

Okay, that sounded weird. Let me rephrase that.

Shadow is… well, Shadow. That's really the best way to describe him. If you ever question why Shadow does something, the answer is almost always, 'Because he's Shadow.' I know that sounds completely crazy, but seriously! Why did Shadow punch the chili dog vender for no apparent reason? _Because he's Shadow._

Okay, bad example.

Better example, Why does Shadow sometimes fight for GUN, but other times he works with Robotnik? Answer: _Because he's Shadow._

So running a race with him is as random as rolling a twenty-sided die. Sometimes, he doesn't really care and just follows me. Other times… well, as you probably know, it wasn't really a race but more of an, 'I'm going to kill you' situation. And why is he like that? Because he's Shadow!

Alright, I'm done asking that question.

Anyway, back to the race!

The black hedgehog stayed in pace with me throughout the whole track. Whenever I began to speed up, he matched the speed and I had to move even faster to keep him from getting ahead. In other words, Shadow obviously wasn't looking to win, but knew I'd be annoyed if he didn't give me a run for my money. You have to say, at least he gives an effort.

But… I still won. By a nose. Literally, the picture Tails took at the end showed me ahead by a nose. And of course Shadow didn't act like he cared, but I'm pretty sure next time we had a little jog, he'd end up not letting me win whether it was through bribery or cheating (not at all that he's as fast as me).

Amy and Rouge joined us at the finish line about two minutes later, Amy to congratulate me and Rouge to scold her partner for letting me win. Shadow only grunted and I had to gently push Amy away from me. I can hardly breath sometimes when she hugs me, and it's not always because she's squeezing me too tightly.

Then all of us sat down at a picnic table and ate hot dogs. Amy had a hot dog with ketchup, mustard, and relish, sort of your average dog. I, of course, had a chili dog (shocker). Tails did like chili dogs, but more often than not leaned towards a cheese dog. Rouge chose a plain old hot dog with no condiments and Knuckles had a hot dog with shredded beef on top covered in barbeque sauce. How he hasn't had a heart attack yet is beyond me.

And then there was Shadow. The hedgehog would never admit it, even if you threatened him with death, but about a year after he 'returned from the dead', Rouge somehow dragged the depressed little guy out of whatever cave he lived in and brought him to a GUN barbeque. There, after he unceremoniously rejected everything that could possibly fit into the hot dog family (weirdo), I introduced him to a little something called hamburgers. So I guess you could say that Shadow is to hamburgers as I am to chili dogs. If you think I'm kidding then you see how he acts whenever I give him one of those things. No, he doesn't go all animal and gorge it down in two seconds and his eyes don't glaze over. In fact, he looks pretty normal. The guy just takes the burger without question and eats it. But still, no complaints, no annoyed looks. His expression is neutral the whole time.

Weird, right?

So while the faker ate his lunch in silence, everyone else laughed and joked around. Rouge and Knuckles were arguing about something, Amy and Cream were chatting with Tails and I, and Shadow was Shadow. After the meal, Cream suggested we played Frisbee and since no one can refuse her, we all started to play.

Shads stood on the edge of the area, but did participate (if only to make Cream happy). Every once in a while, I'd glance over in his direction, but didn't really think about anything in particular. But once, when I hit Knuckles in the head with the disk and the echidna chased after me around the park, I could have sworn he smiled.

We played a few more games in the park, and then Amy suggested we head over to her house and watch a movie. Since none of us had anything better to do, we all hopped on whatever vehicle we had and headed on over. I wanted to race Shadow again, but he insisted on taking his motorcycle.

Amy and Knuckles had their Extreme Gear while Tails and Rouge were just going to fly. Cream had flown over with Amy (how she flies with her ears…? I'm sure Tails has some explanation, but I don't want to listen to it), but now she asked Shadow if she could ride with him.

I sort of froze during my warm up stretches and listened in.

"Uh… I don't think that's a good idea, Cream."

"Please, Mr. Shadow! I'll be very good. Even Cheese will sit on my lap so you won't have to worry about him."

"Uh…"

Cheese chaoed gently and Cream looked at him with these pleading eyes.

"... Fine."

The two cheered and ran over to where his bike was parked.

And to my great surprise, I watched as Shadow allowed a small smile and joined the two. Yep, Shads has a soft side, especially when it involves Cream. Didn't matter how many times I saw it, it still surprised me. After a moment, I shook my head and sped off after everyone else. I did _not_ want to be last.

Five minutes after everyone else arrived, Shadow and Cream walked in. Cream ran over and began to excitedly tell Amy about her drive. Apparently, Shadow did exactly what she wanted all the way over, including speeding through traffic and jumping off a ramp. Who knew Cream was such a thrill seeker?

Amy pulled out some movie that none of us had ever seen before. Knuckles wasn't happy because it was apparently a musical. Honestly, I didn't mind musicals that much, as long as the singing wasn't cringe worthy. So she popped in something called _The Sound of Music_. Maybe it was about a rock band or something.

For what happened next, I take full responsibility.

To everyone who has seen this musical, you know who the main character is. Her name is Maria. Yes, _Maria_. I know, we're idiots. Tell me something I don't know. So when the first 'Maria' popped up, nobody really thought much about it. But I noticed out of the corner of my eye Shadow tensing up. I glanced over at him just in time for the next 'Maria'. Remember how I said his eyes hadn't glazed over for the hamburger? Well, now they were.

And then it clicked in my brain. _Oh Chaos._

I should have turned off the movie. I should have just flipped the switch and said, 'Let's watch something else!' But I didn't. Why? I was too angry with Amy for not thinking of this. I mean, Maria! That's like the taboo name! You say it in front of Shadow, YOU DIE.

So when the song, _'How do you Solve a Problem like Maria?'_ started, I had time to grab Cream and dive behind the couch as the TV exploded.

I peered out in time to see Shadow's back leave the room. No one moved.

Cream popped up and looked at the now obliterated television. "Miss Amy, I think we need to replace our TV. We must have been watching it too much." Leave it to Cream to find a strange, innocent explanation to any given situation. I patted her on the back and told her to go tell her mother about the TV. When she was out, I whirled around and pointed at Amy.

"Amy! Why would you turn on a movie where the main character's name is… ya' know!"

Her face went a shade paler. "Oh. _My._ _ **Chaos.**_ I completely forgot!"

Face palm. "How do you forget about _that?_ I mean, he almost blew up the planet over that _one thing_."

Rouge examined the smoking heap that used to be Amy's TV set. "Well, at least he only killed the TV and no one else."

"I think we're all thanking Chaos that he didn't completely snap," Knuckles mumbled under his breath. Tails agreed wholeheartedly and went to go help clean up the mess.

Amy grabbed a broom for the broken glass, "I am _so_ sorry. It never even entered my mind. I swear, I didn't mean anything by it."

I rolled my eyes, "Don't apologize to us. Apologize to him." I jerked my finger towards the hall.

Rouge said something about letting him cool off and I heard Tails mumble to Knuckles, "I knew we should have just watched a war movie or something. He seems to like those."

While everyone else started to clean up the mess of twisted metal and shrapnel, I slipped out of the room and onto the back porch.

Shadow was standing on the top step, his arms folded. His gaze was locked on the horizon as the sun started to set. Quietly, I slipped up beside him and sat down. Neither spoke nor moved, but just stared out at the sunset in silence.

Shadow sighed softly, refusing to look at me. "...Sorry about the TV."

"No need to apologize." I replied, "It's my fault anyway."

"I should have just left without a word. Didn't really think."

I smiled, "Hey, I would have done the same thing. Although, I think I would have picked the thing up and thrown it out the window. Not blow it up. But hey, that's just my preference."

"Didn't mean to. Emotions sometimes... take over."

Again, there was silence. My thoughts drifted from the actual incident to just Shadow in general.

The guy had been through a lot in his… long life. Although fifty of those years he had technically been in hyper sleep. But still, he had watched his best friend, and in some ways his sister, die right in front of him and he couldn't do anything about it. She died to save his life.

And I knew what that felt like. I still had nightmares about my parents being engulfed in flames and Uncle Chuck's house in ruins. If I had been watching a movie that sang about my siblings or parents… well, I'd want to destroy something too.

Think that was when it hit me how much the faker and I were alike. No, not personality wise, but in terms of our actual backgrounds. Both of us had lost our families to something out of our control, and someone had sacrificed themselves to save us. Both of us had witnessed that death and were unable to stop it, Shadow being trapped and I being too young. In our own special ways we lost our personalities, or at least original personalities. I had no idea what Shadow was like before ARK was shut down, but I had changed, mostly small changes, but they were still changes. Shadow… I wasn't sure if I wanted to see what he was like. He may have liked the color pink. Now, that would be terrifying.

But what I found interesting was the fact that even though both of us experienced similar tragedies, we didn't turn out the same way. Not at all. When my parents died, I was a beggar on the street for about four years before manning up and fighting Robotnik. I didn't want the mad man to do to someone else what he did to me. No more families could just be destroyed without me doing everything I could to save them.

Shadow woke up and immediately went on the whole 'revenge path'. No stopping to think about it or wanting a better option, but just destroy all humanity. Kinda makes you wonder what exactly went through his head as he supposedly died protecting that same planet he was trying to destroy.

If I had made a difference choice that day Robotnik ruined everything, I could be just like Shadow.

 _That's_ a scary thought.

I don't want to be him! He's so… Shadowy. At least I wouldn't be part alien (I have no idea what to think about that whole Black Arms incident). But you don't see me moaning or flipping a table whenever someone mentions the name Sonia, or Manic.

Okay, enough comparing. My brain is about to explode or vomit, and both are bad.

I stood up and turned back to the house. I paused next to Shadow, "See ya around, Shads."

"Don't call me that."

I smirked, "Whatever, Faker." I walked to the back door and swung it open.

"Hedgehog," Shadow called.

I paused and turned around.

Shadow looked back at me, "Rematch next week?"

A smirk slid onto my face, "You're so on." As I walked back in and joined my friends, I couldn't help but think that Shadow was smiling.

 **Well, that was FUN. No seriously, that was fun. I died of laughter sometimes.**

 **Before I forget:** _ **www.**_ _ **.com**_ **P.S.-Halo You know you could have just said that it's the same username. Then they could have just looked you up and save us the embarrassment or having a www on the screen.** _ **(Thanks a lot, Era. I feel great.)**_

 **Okay, so joke with my sisters. Here's the Joke: Sonic loves Chili Dogs. Tails loves Cheese Dogs. Silver loves Hot Dogs. Shadow… likes(?) Hamburgers.**

 **Don't ask how we came up with that. It's a long story.**

 **Another joke: Shadow freaking out during Sound of Music. This one was a little insensitive, but you have to admit that it was kind of funny. And Shadow would totally blow up the TV. No doubt.**

 **Last Joke: A friend of mine and I always were writing fanfiction in our heads and used Shadow a lot. When we had Shadow do something and couldn't really figure out why he did it, but we knew he'd do it we'd just say, "Because he's Shadow."**

 **Anything else I need to explain?**

* * *

 **Oceanera's Headcanon #3: Shadow's Personality before Maria's death was very similar to Sonic's current Personality**

 **Um, yeah, I know it sounds a bit strange, but I think that Shadow had a very similar personality to Sonic's before… ya know. And when I say similar, I mean almost exactly the same. Slight differences, but originally, I think Shadow was a thrill seeking, adventure loving, speedy little hedgehog. Yeah, he had his serious moments (Sonic X conversation with Maria), but he was mostly upbeat. Just a little more down to earth and not a complete idiot. I don't know how Sonic is still alive. Halo says she could see him as bookworm. I guess I could see that. Shadow reading books all day with Maria. There's something I'd love to see. I know, it's creepy to think of him like that. But that's what I think. Then one gunshot changed him to that cold hearted angsty guy we all know and love today.**

* * *

 **Personally, I love Shadow's story arc, no matter how bad it is at some points (aliens? Seriously SEGA? Just what the Chaos were you thinking with aliens?). But (dare I say it?) he is probably the best character SEGA has made. Why?**

 **One, you know his backstory. I mean, Sonic is a good character, but we have no idea about his past life (unless you count Archie). And that goes for everyone in SEGA. I love knowing about a character's background because I think that your history defines who you are. And despite some of the extreme stretches in reality (ALIENS), he makes sense.**

 **Two, he's a really good anti-hero (we do NOT count Sonic Boom video games… I just cringe every time). I love Anti-heroes and sometimes they turn out wrong (I am personally not a fan of Wario… Is he an anti-hero? I don't really know** _ **(He's not. He's just annoying)**_ **). But I have to say that Shadow is really well played out in most of the games. He's still this big downer and he still isn't completely over the whole Maria thing (Despite what he says. I don't really think he left his past behind in** _ **Shadow the Hedgehog…**_ **)**

 **But even if he has all of his problems, he's still Shadow (*face palm* I can't believe I quoted him just there… Didn't mean too. I swear.) and he probably is one of the more rounded characters in SEGA. If you don't agree with me, I'd love to hear why. Just remember that I respect your opinion. Please respect mine.**

 **Okay, enough of me babbling. Review please!**


	19. The Warning

**Sofi's up! What? You knew that… Okay, let's just move on.**

 **Comments on Reviews!**

 **ultimateCCC: *shivers* I don't want to imagine that.** _ **(Thanks for that image, CCC.)**_

 **StarlightSparks: Eh… Shadow probably didn't notice or really understand what Sonic was talking about. I feel like he'd respect Sonic's past and remain quiet. Hope you liked the Cover Art. Thanks, and hope you continued to enjoy!** _ **(Thanks for checking out my page!)**_

 **Autumn: ALL HAIL SHADOW! Okay, I couldn't resist. We had a pretty good weekend… I had a ton of homework. Not sure about Halo. Hope you're doing well!** _ **(Never Turn Back, dear readers! For you are all of you, and I Am All Of Me!**_ **) *face palm* HALO!** _ **(Was it something I said?)**_

 **juancastri111: *blushes* Well thanks. I personally think Shadow deserved some good character building. As for the character chapters… I think we're sort of going to do that. I wouldn't say it's too crazy, and it won't be as specific as Shadow's chapter, but I do want to have at least a few paragraphs of character explaining (in Sonic's head).**

 **qwencarson126: Whoever doesn't like Shadow… well, I'd like to have a conversation with them.** _ **(My conversation would be without comprehensible words, but with several fists.)**_

 **Maxi-T: Shadow in a Burger King line. Oh Chaos… Shadow and Cream's relationship is a very sibling one in this story. I love a brother sister relation between these two in other stories, so I thought, "Why not?"**

 **Um… Okay just warning you right now. Big foreshadowing in this chapter. Oh the fun! Let's just get going.**

Sofia's POV:

The past week had been a hard one. My boss needed me to work a little later than usual on Thursday so Knuckles and I had to reschedule for Thursday morning. I am NOT a morning person.

So around eight am I drove groggily over to the breakfast place we had agreed on. When I pulled up in front of the restaurant, Knuckles was already standing at the door, waiting for me.

I swung off my motorcycle and parked it, slipping a few coins in the parking meter.

Knuckles smiled cheerfully at me, "Morning!"

I didn't respond but grunted and we walked into the building. The waiter already had a table waiting for us so at least the wait was short. We sat down and ordered our drinks. As the waitress walked away, Knuckles glanced over at me, "You feeling okay? You don't look so good."

Pressing my hands up against my face, I moaned slightly, "Sorry, but I am _not_ a morning person. Let me get some orange juice and I'll be fine."

Knuckles shrugged, "Some people do better at night. I get it."

A small smile appeared, "I take it you're a morning person."

"Yep."

"What time do you get up?"

The waiter appeared with our drinks and I gratefully took the glass. I took a sip and motioned for Knuckles to continue.

He shrugged, "Depends on the season and the day of the week. On Wednesdays I like to watch the sunrise. During the summer I usually wake up around… four? Four thirty?"

I nearly did a spit-take. _"What?"_

"Winters are nice, I get to sleep til about six… I'm up with the sun about ninety percent of the time." He continued as if it was normal for people to get up that early every day.

"What about the other ten percent of the time?"

"Before the sun."

I stared at him. "Why?"

"It's kind of part of my job…"

This caught my interest. Sometimes, he ask me about my job, but rarely hinted at his. "Are you a farmer, or do you just have a job that starts really early?"

Knuckles rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "No to the first thing, yes to the second."

"What do you do?"

The echidna tensed up slightly and picked up a menu. "Is there anything on here that looks good to you? I'm personally not a fan of waffles."

Okay then… random subject change. "Why aren't you a fan of waffles?"

"Um…" Knuckles looked a tad bit embarrassed. "I don't really like the squares. It's just… squares inside other squares. I don't understand. It's worse when the actual waffle is round. I dunno. It bothers me."

I started laughing and ignored the look I got from Knuckles. Still chuckling, I glanced at the menu. "Omelets sound good... And they aren't squared." Knuckles rolled his eyes, but eagerly pounced at the suggestion.

After we ordered our food (two omelets, his had ham and sausage while mine was just filled with veggies), we struck up a conversation about life. Well, sort of. We just talked about subjects of interest, such as Montana Badger, and… okay, so maybe we need to move on from that. With that thought in mind, I finally decided to bring up the dropped subject previously mentioned.

"So, Knuckles. What do you do for a living?"

Once again the echidna tensed up slightly. He took a big drink of orange juice then began humming loudly and rather tunelessly. I raised an eyebrow and repeated the question.

Knuckles sighed softly, "You'll either think I'm insane, a complete freak, or you just won't believe me."

"Um…" I raised an eyebrow, "I'm a professional fashionista. How is that not insane or freakish?"

"My job is an entirely different brand of insanity."

"Meaning…?"

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope."

"Alright, here goes nothing." Knuckles took a deep breath, "What do you know about the Echidna race?"

I scrunched my face together. "Um…" Vaguely I recalled reading about the ancient Echidna tribe in an ancient artifact book, "Well... according to legend they were some sort of Guardian Tribe. It's said that they were favored of Chaos and protected something very valuable to him. And something about a flying island." I shrugged. "That's all I got."

Knuckles stared at me, his mouth dropped open in shock.

I stared back, a little confused. "Do I have something on my face?"

Quickly, the echidna straightened out, "Um, no. I just... Every person I've ever had to explain this to had absolutely no clue about the Echidna legends. How… how do you know about that?"

"Well," I smiled slightly, "I took about three mythology classes in high school, plus I love studying ancient artifacts. My town's library had a surprisingly good selection."

Knuckles just stared. After a few moments of processing whatever thoughts were heading through his mind, he finally managed a slow reply, "Oh… well then, this shouldn't be too difficult to explain. Um… As you've mentioned, the Echidna tribe was a Guardian over something very...valuable to Chaos."

I nodded slowly, but was still a tad confused, "Isn't that just a legend?"

"Not entirely. Legends are almost always based around some truth. In this case, it's mostly true. I'm a Guardian." After that sentence he just stared at me, waiting for something. Probably a reaction of some sort.

Instead, I just blinked at him, very confused. "A guard over what? What's a Guardian? How does that have anything to do with the Echidna legends?"

Knuckles smiled a little sheepishly, "I guess that was a bad explanation... Let me start over." As he gathered his thoughts our food arrived.

The echidna then suggested that we wait til after we ate because it was going to take a while to explain. My interest peaked; it's no surprise that it felt like a very long meal.

So after the longest ten minutes of my life and the only thing that remained on our plates was crumbs, I finally managed to get the stubborn echidna to start explaining again.

"Um… Okay," he started again, "So without going into too much detail, I guard something that my ancestors have guarded for generations. Sort of like a very powerful artifact that could destroy the world if in the wrong hands." Knuckles gave a nervous laugh, "You probably think that's pretty freaky."

My mind flashed back to kids at school calling me a freak. "No. I've seen weirder."

"Seriously?" he raised an eyebrow.

I shrugged, "My life is a mess. I've gotten used to it. At this point, I think an alien could abduct me and I wouldn't be surprised."

"Uh… okay?"

That was when I decided to change the subject. "The other day at my job, some lady came in and demanded to see all of the dishwashers we had on sale."

Knuckles nearly choked on his water. "What?"

"I have no idea. I politely informed her that she was in a clothing store, not _Seals_."

"How did she react?" He asked with a smile on his face.

"She told me that I was wrong and she was right. We ended up getting in this big argument about what store she was in and it ended in my manager having to call security because we couldn't get her to leave."

"Some people are idiots."

"Agreed. This is why I prefer my apartment."

"Join the club." We laughed a little bit, then Knuckles paid the bill and we left the restaurant.

Walking down the street, we continued to chat about times we met some idiot in our lives and how it's much nicer to be alone. Never realized I was this much of a hermit until now.

Anyway, at some point, when we came to a last second crosswalk, Knuckles grabbed my hand and pulled me across the street. I couldn't help but smile on the other side when neither of us let go.

Perfect breakfast, funny conversations, and a handhold. Best. Date. _Ever_.

Of course that is when my luck goes wrong. Right when everything was perfect, I had the first 'episode' I'd had since I left my home.

Actually, I had almost forgotten about my visions at this point. Back in my old town, I had one almost every other day. Sometimes I was lucky and it was once a week. But ever since I left, I hadn't even had a dream. At first, I had been a little confused by it, but eventually I forgot about it.

 _Really_ regretted that now.

I was in the middle of answering one of his questions when my head felt like it had split open with pain. Letting out a sharp cry, I pressed my hands against my head and dropped to my knees, my hands shaking and eyes streaming.

Knuckles gripped my shoulders and I heard him cry out, " _Sofi!_ " Then every sound and feeling seemed to fade and the world went black.

* * *

 _A female echidna suddenly grabbed my wrists with no indication of letting go, her eyes glowing an unearthly green..._

* * *

" _My name is Dodger. I'm looking for Maniac."_

* * *

 _...Wind whipped past my face as I gripped my arms around a green hedgehog. "Manic, I'm going to kill you!" I shouted over the uproar..._

* * *

 _...With a completely calm and straight face, the black and red hedgehog spoke, refusing to look me in the eye, "Get out of here._ _ **Now.**_ _"_

* * *

 _...A Dark presence…_

* * *

 _...Glowing Gems…_

* * *

" _ **MAURICE! WAKE UP!"**_

* * *

My eyes snapped open as I gasped for air.

Knuckles was gripping my shoulders staring at me with worry in his eyes, "Sofi! Are you alright? What happened?"

Shakily, I stood up, "I- I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You're all pale and-"

"I'm fine, Knuckles." I steadied my voice. "I sometimes have, um, migraines that hurt my head. Sort of like a seizure, I guess. Forgot that I haven't told you about them."

He looked pretty concerned. "Can you walk?"

"Uh, _yes_. Honestly, it's not a big deal."

The echidna hesitated, "Is there anything else about these…. seizures? Anything… uh, strange?"

My body tensed up slightly, "No. Why?"

"I-" Knuckles hesitated, "I thought I felt… never mind. It was probably my imagination."

I didn't question him; my head hurt too much. "I need to get home."

"Of course." Knuckles offered his arm, but I ignored it. I was too frazzled to be very polite. Knuckles must have understood and settled with just watching to make sure I didn't fall on the ground again.

At my apartment, we exchanged goodbyes and Knuckles told me to call him if I needed anything for my migraines. Politely, I thanked him, then closed the door. I let out a small sigh and collapsed on the couch. I closed my eyes and tried to make sense of what I had seen.

Only three times in my life had I been able to have a clairvoyant vision. Yes, I had my 'instincts' but I didn't count those feelings as 'visions'. The past popped up all the time and the present was a pain, but the future? _Very_ rare. The first time was right before Maurice and my parents died, but I didn't realize then what it was. It just seemed like a really, really detailed nightmare. The second time was in second grade. It wasn't really anything important (I had a vision of Manic failing a pop quiz. I tried to get him to study- he didn't. The vision came true, needless to say).

The last time was before Manic ran away. And you know how that turned out.

But this time… this time was different. It wasn't a small flash-forward or even a complete vision, but a collection of snapshots through time. I didn't know what to think.

' _Okay, Sonia. Let's just think this through logically.'_

The woman who had grabbed me was definitely an echidna, and Knuckles was the only other echidna I'd ever seen before. This woman had been wearing something that I'd call a tribal outfit. I had no idea why she grabbed me or what was with the eyes.

The second thing was a voice. _My_ voice. I was talking to someone and introduced myself as Dodger. Perhaps I was in gang territory…? I wasn't completely positive on that bit.

Shaking my head, I moved on to the third scene. Lots of wind and I was holding tight to someone. Sounded a lot like a motorcycle ride. And I was yelling at Manic about wanting to kill him. Sounded accurate. My heart sort of leapt forward a few paces. Manic was still alive (part of me had been worried that he'd been brutally murdered on the streets). Now, I just had to find him. And I guess I do, according to my 'migraine'.

Next: the black and red hedgehog. I'd never seen the guy before. I think I'd remember someone like that. And why did he want me to leave, _'Now,'_ as he put it.

The next thing was more of a feeling than anything. Something dark was nearby. Something cold. And something… wrong. Unnatural. _Terrifying._

Visions of gems, all similar in size and shape, but the colors were completely different. I could recall four; red, white, green, and yellow. But the others were a little harder to remember. There may have been a purple one… but it might have been pink. I might have seen black, but it may have been a blue. And then another green or perhaps it was turquoise. Maybe there was another. I guess I'd figure it out later.

The last one made absolutely no sense. I only had known one Maurice and he wasn't exactly around to yell at for most of my life. And besides, why would someone (I knew the voice wasn't mine. If anything, it sounded like a kid's) be screaming for him to 'wake up'? I guess maybe I had seen the past…? But everything else was obviously the future, and I'd never had an overlapped time in a vision before.

" _Ugh!_ " I moaned aloud. Why did this have to be so difficult?

I felt like something (or someone) was trying to tell me something. Trying to warn me to prepare for… something.

But what?

 **Well, foreshadowing like a madwomen here. Oh boy, that was fun. If any of you wish, you can try and connect the dots. And here's a HUGE hint: The visions go in order of appearance. Holy Chaos, big spoilers in this (if you can catch them).**

 _ **And I'm willing to spoil some things right here! Remember 'Seals'? THAT, my friends, will play an extremely important role in the plot! Not only is it a play off of 'Sears', but it is also a code name for an Ancient Mobian artifact! Simply unscramble the letters and you'll see that it spells the word 'Alses'! What does that mean? You decide! (And if you believe all that, there's some swampland in Florida I'd like to sell you.)**_

 **Um… ignore that. I really don't want to have some of you staying up until midnight trying to understand that. (It's not really a spoiler.)** _ **No derr. By the way, the word 'gullible' is written on the ceiling.**_

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Please review!**


	20. First Date

**Y'all are ready for a Manic chapter, right? Well, sorry to disappoint.**

 **Okay, so apparently, our timeline is getting a little…messed up. So the next few chapters are going to be a little random in who is narrating. First up (or this chapter), we have Sonic, then Manic, then Manic again, then Sonic again, and then Sonia. The reason we're changing the order is because that is how the events take place in Chronological order. So… yeah, it's going to get a little crazy.**

 **We're currently typing six chapters at once. That's how confused we got. But it is all in the name of Art! (Also we have finished two, not counting this one.)**

 **But, we FINALLY get to have a Sonamy chapter! (Okay, so maybe we had one before, but this is different! It's a legit date!) Comments on reviews!**

 **Caisha12: No, it's not bad. It's wonderful! (To be completely honest, I totally do the same thing. But I know what the visions are about.)**

 **Starlight Sparks: I'm glad you liked how we foreshadowed! To be honest, we actually have quite a bit of foreshadowing in this story, but most of it goes over everyone's heads. XD. We'll try not to die, as long as you don't die. It's not good for your health.**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: When I first read your review, I got a little confused. Then I realized the whole Waffle thing… Whoops. Sorry 'bout that. If it helps, I LOVE waffles! They are heavenly… especially with maple syrup and strawberries… Okay, now I'm hungry. brb.**

 **Quantum27: I'm glad you enjoyed the cover! I had fun coloring it… and doing the green hill zone in the background. Yep, it was Tikal. That's all I'm saying.**

 **Zosonils: Holy Totem Poles… Never heard that one before. XD I'm so glad you're excited for the future (to be honest, so am I!) Okay, the whole, 'Knuckles doesn't like waffles' thing, was literally something that popped into my head while typing the chapter. I wanted a change of subject that was random, but not too random. But now that I think about it, it is a pretty strange headcanon. I think we have a few other ones in this chapter. Hope you enjoy them. I would also ask for a dishwasher in a clothing store. It's just the thing to either make or break someone's day. Shameless plugging! (I'm totally doing that in my next review for your Sonic and Tails: Origin Story. XD) Halo is laughing her head off. (I also looked up, but don't tell her that.)**

 **Gwencarson126: Not sure which part you are talking about, but thanks!**

 **Autumn: A Chihuahua? Sure, why not? My life is controlled by siblings and school. We don't have a dog. But we do have chickens… And yes, Knuckles should listen to his heart. But does he? Eh… sort of.**

 **ultimateCCC: Pretty much. Or a Clairvoyant vision. Thank you, English Vocabulary test!**

 **Can I just say that I LOVE Sonamy? (As long as Amy is not super, super, super, super, obsessive.)** _ **(Personally I ship Sonally. But I do enjoy an occasional Sonamy ship.)**_

 **Without further ado. Sonamy! Action!**

Sonic's POV:

This was not how I planned my day to go.

Now, that's not to say I wasn't enjoying myself. Amy was laughing across the table while I was trying to wipe the ice cream off my face, looking like a complete fool.

 _How in the name of Chaos did I get here?_

Well, the day had started out normal enough. Tails was working in his workshop, Knuckles was off somewhere with his girlfriend, and Amy and I were pulling weeds in Vanilla's garden.

Okay, so maybe the weed thing isn't the most normal thing you've heard, but I have actually found it rather stress relieving. I mean, weeds are a great way to take your anger out on. They won't give you too much trouble (generally), and always, always, always deserve to die.

It was great hanging out with her. I never noticed how funny she was. Talking to her just felt so...easy. Natural. I could really be myself around her, and before now I had only ever felt like that around Tails. I didn't need to be cocky or sarcastic with her like I was with the other girls I had dated in the past; Amy didn't go for that sort of thing, anyway.

"So how's life?" I asked casually, digging into the earth to rip out a particularly stubborn one.

"Pretty good, I think…" she replied. "Vanilla was going to go out and asked me to babysit for Cream tonight, but whatever she was planning on doing got canceled. So I haven't got anything planned."

"Bummer."

"I know, right?"

We weeded in amiable silence for a minute, until I decided to change the subject. "So Tails blew something up again."

"What was it this time?" asked Amy, her tone a mixture of exasperated and amused.

"A toaster."

"How'd he do that?"

"He was tinkering around with it, trying to make it fly."

"Well, no wonder he blew it-"

"He made it fly."

Amy fell silent for a second. Then she managed to stammer, "What?"

"Some sort of hover technology. I think he used some of the extreme gear stuff…"

We exchanged another laugh and then I focused on pulling another extremely stubborn weed. Amy also went back to gardening.

A random thought popped into my head, "So Amy," I yanked at the weed which refused to budge, "There's a new movie," YANK, "coming out today," YANK, "and I was wondering," YANK, "if you-"

A sudden, "YES!" interrupted me and I fell back a bit startled, weed in hand.

Groggily, I sat up rubbing my head, "What-?"

Amy looked a little embarrassed, "I mean… yes. I'd love to."

"To what?"

A light red blush seemed to creep onto her face, "You were you asking me to go to the movie with you, right?"

"I- uh…"

To be completely honest, I was going to say, _'So Amy, there's a new movie coming out today and I was wondering if you_ _ **have seen the trailer for it.**_ _'_ I had no idea she was going to take that as me asking her on a date- I mean going to see a movie with me.

Don't give me that look, it's not a date. I think.

Now I had to tell Amy it was a huge misunderstanding, "Well, Amy I-" my voice cut off at the hopeful look on the hedgehog's face. "Um… yes. That was exactly what I was doing."

"Really?" Amy asked, her eyes shining.

I nodded vigorously on the outside, but on the inside, I was scolding myself. I was lying to a girl, Amy Rose, of all people. Chaos, forgive me.

But Amy didn't seem to notice. Instead she just grinned and went back to gardening.

Meanwhile, I was trying to figure out what the heck I was going to do. Obviously, this was a brand new movie which meant you had to get there an hour early for a good spot. I didn't even know what the film was, for crying out loud. How was I going to make this date thing work?

And then I realized something.

 _I just snagged a date with Amy Rose._

My first instinct was to zone out in pure shock. I had been trying to work up the courage to ask her out for weeks, but every time I tried it always came out garbled and nonsensical. Just like me to succeed by complete accident.

We finished weeding pretty quickly. I mumbled a goodbye to her, leaving her behind, still beaming. For the first time that I can remember, I willingly moved slowly. My mind was still in a jumble. Date. Movie. Me. Amy. _Us_. I felt like I was on top of the world and that that same world was crashing down on top of me at the same time. It was so amazing… and at the same time, I felt like freezing up in complete panic.

I finally snapped out of my slow-moving and zoomed into our house, completely startling Tails who was reading on the couch.

"Tails…" I said slowly, staring at the ground and holding my head. "Tails, the world is ending!"

My brother sprung to his feet, a look of alarm overtaking his once peaceful expression. "Robotnik?"

"No! Something worse." I collapsed on the couch, trying to sort out my emotions. My brain felt numb.

"What's worse than Robotnik?" Tails asked with a raised eyebrow. "Wait- does he have a brother?"

"No, I don't think he has a brother."

"Then a sister?"

"Robotnik doesn't have any siblings, Tails." I ran my fingers through my quills. "Or at least I don't think he does… at least not living siblings."

The poor fox now looked very confused, "Then is another mad man trying to take over the world, or… were you in the kitchen again? Sonic, we've talked about this!"

I rolled my eyes, "No, I wasn't in the kitchen. I was at Vanilla's with Amy."

"Oh…" Tails looked at me very suspiciously, "Did you blow up their kitchen?"

"No! Tails, gimme some credit!"

"Sonic, you barging in here saying 'The world is ending!' isn't very clear."

"Then maybe it's not ending," I spread my arms out in an exploratory manner, "Maybe it's at peace."

Tails stared at me with a quizzical look. "... Have you been eating Mr. Brown's chili dogs again?"

"No, that was a mistake I will never make again." I shivered at the very thought of those disgusting abominations; rock hard, yet squishy, sliding down my throat like mutant slime. The hallucinations that came afterwards were no picnic either.

Tails just stared at me. "Then the world is at peace?"

"No! It's ending! Haven't you been paying attention?"

At this, my brother just shook his head and picked up his book, "When you want to start talking sense, I'll be in the workshop." Then he left me to my bouncing emotions.

What? I had no idea how I felt about this situation, as previously mentioned. One minute I felt as if everything was right in the world, the next… I felt like I'd rather be destroyed by Robotnik while wearing a pink tutu.

Okay, maybe I had one of Mr. Brown's chili dogs. I was starving; you tell me what you'd do in my place.

About an hour later, I finally had calmed down enough to find Tails and speak semi-sense.

"I may have… sort of… kinda… asked Amy… out."

Tails was sitting at a workbench peering at me over his book. He didn't say anything at first then in a completely normal voice, "That's nice." Then he went back to his book.

Uh… Okay then.

"Tails, did you not hear me?"

"Yes, I did."

"I asked Amy on a date."

"Yes."

"And you don't see anything strange about this?"

"Sonic, you've been hanging out with her almost every day working in a garden, for Chaos sake. I was expecting you to finally get the nerve to ask her out."

"It was actually an accident."

This got his attention. Tails put the book down and folded his arms, "How do you _accidently_ ask someone out?"

While I was busy explaining what happened, Knuckles walked in. He seemed distracted and kept checking his phone every two minutes (which I never thought I'd ever see in my lifetime), but asked me to repeat the whole story.

When I finally finished the explanation (twice), the two of them just stared at me for a second. Knuckles started chuckling smugly and Tails rolled his eyes.

"Why does this sort of thing always happen to you?"

I shook my head, "I have no idea. Now what am I supposed to do?"

"Well," Knuckles straightened up slightly, "You already lied to her, in a way. Don't do it again. Take her to the movie, and then add a surprise trip to an ice cream parlor or something at the end."

"... Since when did you become the date expert?"

"Since I met Sofi. We did something like that a few weeks ago." He checked his phone again.

That's when it clicked in my brain. Phone = Sofia. "Speaking of which, how is our beloved Sofia doing?" I asked as nonchalantly as I could.

Knuckles tensed up slightly, "I think she's alright…"

"Meaning...?" Tails joined in the conversation with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, she just sort of… fainted this morning. Said she gets migraines that can cause her to pass out. But…" he trailed off.

"But?" I pressed.

"I could have sworn I sensed Chaos energy. Same with when I first met her, now that I think about it."

Tails shifted slightly, "You think she may have Chaotic abilities?"

He shrugged, "I'm not sure. I was a little distracted."

"Because your girlfriend just fainted?" I smirked.

Knuckles glared.

My little brother swooped in for a rescue, "Have you told her about Angel Island yet?"

"I told her I was a Guardian of something that my family has guarded since ancient times."

"And-?" Tails and I both asked at the same time.

"She seemed to believe me. And she didn't look at me like I was a lunatic, so there's that little bit of positivity." Knuckles shrugged.

I shook my head, "Dude, you need to take her to the island. The sooner you get the weird stuff out of the way, the sooner you can avoid awkward conversations of avoiding certain subjects."

"And when did you get to be the conversation expert?" Knuckles demanded.

I smiled, "Since I started hanging out with Amy."

Tails and I laughed, and Knuckles joined in shortly. With that out of the way, Knuckles and Tails immediately went into 'business' mode and started questioning me about the date with Amy.

"When are you going out?"

"Do you know what movie you're going to see?"

"How much is a ticket?"

"Are you going to get any concessions?"

"What about the ice cream?"

I held up a time out sign. "Woah! Guys, calm down, seriously. It's tonight, I don't know the movie or ticket price, yes I want to get concessions, and the ice cream sounds like a good idea." I leaned back with my hands behind my head. "Any other questions?"

Tails and Knuckles exchanged a look. "Shouldn't you get going?"

"... and there's another good idea. Thank you, Tails."

"You're welcome." he replied dryly.

I didn't answer but ran out of the workshop to find a laptop. This was going to be an interesting night…

* * *

I texted Amy about two hours before I was going to swing by and pick her up, alerting her for the time limit.

Then, Tails and Knuckles teased me mercilessly while I bought advanced tickets online (I hate lines).

I also had to run to the bank to cash one of the checks that GUN sends me monthly. To be completely honest, I may cash one every three months. At the most. I give it to Vanilla so she can buy food. Tails uses most of my money because his hobby of inventing is expensive. My hobby of running was much less expensive. Maybe new shoes once or twice a year, but that's about it. I think we had to replace Tails' tool box three times in the past year (one exploded, another one melted, and the last one fell out of _The Tornado_ during a Robotnik attack).

Of course that only took like five minutes, so that left me about an hour to kill.

Actually, that left me an hour to panic. I mean, come on. I had no idea what Amy expected from me. For one, the movie didn't even look that good, and we were technically famous celebrities/ national heroes. I _really_ did not want to run into any paparazzi.

So five minutes before I had to leave, I donned my old red hoodie that I hadn't worn since winter and changed out of my signature red buckled shoes to plain white sneakers.

The good thing about living right next to Vanilla's is that I can get there in a minute without running. So Tails and Knuckles had time to chant, "Sonic has a girlfriend," one last time before I sped out the door.

When Amy answered the door, she was talking to Vanilla, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know!"

The rabbit's voice called back, "It's fine, dear. Go enjoy yourself! I'm sure I can find someone else to babysit."

The pink hedgehog said goodbye then shut the door behind, and turned to me. "Hey," she smiled.

I noted the slight change of clothes (red t-shirt and white pants with a white jacket on top. Her shoes hadn't changed and she still had her matching golden bracelets on) then asked, "What was that about?"

Amy blushed, "Apparently, when Vanilla said that her meeting was canceled, she meant the one next week, not this week. I tried to tell her I could reschedule with you, but she refused. So now she has to find another babysitter."

Oops.

With the both of us feeling guilty, we walked (yes, walked. Tails told me no running and I had reluctantly agreed) down to the bus stop making small talk.

Flash forward to the movie theater. We got a big bucket of popcorn, two sodas, and some pretty good seats, if I do say so myself. Best part of all: as long as I kept my hood on, hardly anyone noticed us (we had a few people staring, but hey, nothing's perfect.)

Twenty minutes of trailers later, the movie started.

Remember when I said the movie didn't look good? I was wrong.

It was _**horrible.**_

Some idiot had decided that it would be a good idea to take the concept of GUN and make a movie about it. The main character was an amnesiac secret agent who had a girlfriend that turned out to be a double agent working for the villain who was the main character's father. He was also a billionaire. The guy's best friend was one of those loyal but utterly useless people (who was a ginger, by the way), and refused to leave his friend behind under any circumstances. The guy later died and the main character blamed himself (how much you want to bet the best friend comes back in the sequel as a brainwashed villain and the hero tries to save him?). And of course we have the slow-mo. fight scene of the main character fighting his father and add in the fact that the girlfriend still loves the guy and dies protecting him (even though she 'killed' his best friend, I might add), we have one of the worst and most cliché movies of all time. It ends with his father telling him that he has a sister, who is his prisoner. Apparently, in the next movie, he's going to save her.

You know how I know half of that? I went home afterwards and looked it up. Amy and I only got to watch about half the movie. We got kicked out after throwing our whole thing of popcorn at the movie screen and shouting advice to the actors, then refusing to calm down.

No, I'm not kidding. Honestly, neither of us cared. We had been whispering snide comments and jokes to one another the whole time and hardly paying attention at all, except to gain more ammunition for our critiques.

"... and stay out!" shouted the irritated usher, pushing us roughly out the front doors. Amy and I stood in silence for a bit, exchanging looks. I snorted; she giggled. We both erupted into raucous laughter, tears streaming from our eyes, we were laughing so hard. Amy leaned her arm on my shoulder for balance and my heart skipped a beat.

It was about nine o'clock and the sun had set, basking the street in darkness. We had calmed down somewhat and were walking down the sidewalk, chatting up a storm. I directed her over to the ice cream parlor we had passed on our way to the theater, feeling on cloud nine when I saw her brightening expression.

We ordered, Amy getting a strawberry milkshake and me a hot fudge sundae. We kept talking about the movie while we were waiting for our ice cream, having to pause every two minutes just to laugh.

"Wait, wait-" Amy tittered. "Remember… remember when the guy said to his dad…'I forgive you for your crimes, father, because I know there's good in you somewhere'? I mean, who's writing this junk?"

"Yeah, we were doing them a favor with the popcorn thing; at least the audience was getting some real entertainment!" My cheeks were beginning to ache for how hard I was smiling.

In the corner of my eye I spotted the waiter walking towards us with a small platter of ice cream. I reached into my jacket pocket for my wallet so I could pay our check, but out of nowhere I felt a cold, sticky substance strike me in the forehead. It was my sundae.

"Omigosh, I am _so_ sorry!" stuttered the waiter, sounding panicked. "I tripped and your ice cream… Omigosh, I'm so getting fired!"

Across the table, Amy's milkshake had landed neatly in front of her by some twisted turn of fate. I wiped most of the creamy liquid off my face and out of my eyes, looking myself over and realizing that there was hardly a speck of my front side that wasn't covered in either ice cream or fudge. Great.

I swabbed a finger full of ice cream off one of my quills and popped it in my mouth, savoring the sweet flavor.

"This…" I started, saying the first thing that came to mind. "... Is really good ice cream."

 _You are a fool, you are an idiot, and Amy will never go out with you again…_

The waiter kind of stared at me with an expression I identified as a combination of disgust and utter confusion. He shook his head and weakly tried to force a smile. "Would you like me to go get you another sundae?" he said, his voice trembling slightly.

"That'd be great. Can you also bring, like, three things of napkins? Thanks."

The waiter scurried off, leaving me still dripping. I could tell Amy was trying to suppress a giggle; her hand was over her mouth and her eyes were twinkling.

"Go ahead, you can laugh," I mumbled, trying to have a good temperament about this. After all, laughing was good. That means she's enjoying herself, right? _Wait, is she laughing_ _ **at**_ _you or_ _ **with**_ _you? Oh man... this is a disaster! She thinks you're a fool! This was such a mistake; I never should have li-_

"You're so funny!"

 _Never mind!_

I cracked a grin. "I am?"

"Are you kidding? My whole face hurts, I've laughed so much tonight!" she twittered. Chaos, I loved her laugh. It sounded like music.

"Really?"

"Uh, yeah! All these crazy things always happen to you, it's hilarious!"

"Heh, yeah. Someone up there probably just likes messing with me." The waiter arrived with the sundae and several rolls of paper towels. Amy and I multitasked between eating our ice cream and mopping up the remnant of my previous sundae. By the time we both finished I was still sticky and my hoodie had acquired an enormous white-and-brown stain, but I didn't feel like I had been marinated in creamy deliciousness anymore.

It was too late to catch a bus, but the streetcars were still out at this hour so we got a ride on one of those. While we were sitting down, I caught sight of another guy about my age boarding- but in a completely different way. He was wearing a dark red vest with a hood so his face was hidden, but the fur was definitely green.

To be honest, the only reason I noticed him was because of the way he rode the streetcar. It was literally pulling away and he just jumped up on the back of the car, hanging onto the railing outside the actual car part. I quietly pointed it out to Amy who raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

The guy jumped off after about three blocks- literally, he jumped off and hit the ground running.

"Someone has a death wish," I mumbled under my breath.

Amy just nodded, "Wonder what he's up to…"

"Does it matter?"

"No, just wondering what kind of person would jump off a street car while it's still moving."

Amy rolled her eyes, but looked out the window behind us. "Well, apparently someone who's in a hurry to get to the deli."

We started talking about the movie again and quickly forgot about the shady Mobian.

Then as if the day couldn't get any weirder, on the street car came…

"Rouge? What are you doing out this late?" Amy asked as the familiar bat hopped on the car.

She was wearing a black and gold trench coat, which immediately alerted me that she was up to something, possibly not legal. But, like always, I pretended to not notice.

Rouge sat down across the aisle and crossed her arms, "I could ask you two the same thing."

"We just went to a movie and had some ice cream. Now, we're headed home." I shrugged. "Nothing special."

Rouge smiled, "Nothing about you two going out, _alone_ , is 'special'?"

I could feel the bright red blush creeping up on my face. Amy had a similar expression on her face and had cast her eyes down to the ground.

The car screeched to a halt in front of our stop and the two of us hurriedly got off the bus. As the car pulled away, I realized we had never found out what Rouge was up to. I caught Amy's eye and just shook my head.

"If anyone asks: we didn't see her."

"Agreed."

It only took about five minutes to walk to our houses from here. We chatted on the way up to the front door and stopped on the doorstep.

' _Okay Sonic, don't freak out.'_

Amy shuffled slightly, "Well, I had a really nice time tonight, Sonic. Even if we got kicked out of the movie theater."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Are you kidding? I loved it!" She giggled, "If we had been recognized, the press would have had a field day. It was nice to be treated like an ordinary person."

I smiled. "Well… I enjoyed tonight too. Maybe we should do this again sometime."

Oh Chaos. I totally did it again. What is it with me and asking out Amy on accident? Honestly…

"That'd be fun." Amy peered inside. "I don't think Vanilla is back yet. Wonder who she got to babysit…"

"Well-" I opened my mouth to answer when the door suddenly swung open. Shadow appeared, looking a tad annoyed and a little exhausted.

No one spoke for a second, and then I timidly asked, "Uh… Shadow? How did you… uh… What are you doing here?"

He sighed, "Cream asked me-"

I held up my hand to stop him, "Say no more."

When Cream wanted something, it was nigh-impossible to say no to her. Amy and Vanilla were the only people who could do it properly without hurting the child's feelings. And Shadow would just never say no to her. Ever.

Amy thanked him and offered to take over. He agreed very willingly and ducked in to say goodbye to Cream (who had convinced him to let her stay up later than usual.)

While he did that, Amy and I said goodbye, then I headed home, with the promise to swing by soon.

* * *

The lights were off when I got home, so I assumed that Tails was asleep. As quietly as possible I tip-toed down the hall towards the stairs.

Then the lights came on.

I whirled around to find Tails and Knuckles sitting on the couch, Tails with this big grin on his face and Knuckles with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

Knuckles slowly spelled out the following sentence, "Do you have _any_ idea _what_ time it is?"

"Um…" I glanced at the clock. "Like eleven-thirty? It's not that late, Knux."

"The movie went till nine. It took over _two hours_ to eat ice cream?"

"It probably took longer than that, actually. We got kicked out halfway through the movie."

" _What?_ "

"Long story."

"I have time."

"The movie was horrible, so we threw our entire bucket of popcorn at the screen."

" _Sonic!_ "

"Whaaat?"

"You-you-" sputtered Knuckles, flabbergasted. "...You don't _do_ that!"

"Hey, she did it too. It was fun."

Knuckles just stared at me with a look that read complete shock and anger. I had a feeling that he was debating if he should punch me in the face or just everywhere else. Thank Chaos that Tails intervened with many, many questions about the date or things could have gotten messy.

I answered them eagerly, trying to ignore the glare Knucklehead was giving me. Eventually, Knuckles seemed to get out of his 'stern parent' mood and joined in the conversation.

Around midnight, Tails gave out a large yawn and I decided it was time to be the responsible big brother for a change.

"Alright, bedtime!" I slung the fox over my shoulders and began to haul him up the stairs. Tails gave practically no resistance, barely even a mutter about how he didn't need me to carry him. Pretty sure he was asleep by the time I reached his room.

I gently placed him in his bed and pulled up the blankets. "Night, Miles. Sleep well." Tails didn't say anything, but mumbled something about sprocket wrenches and rolled over.

Knuckles was leaning in the doorway, watching. We left the fox sleeping and headed back downstairs. I offered Knuckles a place to sleep, but he politely declined.

"Been spending too much time of the island."

I smiled, "Well, girlfriends tend to take up your time." I put my hand on his shoulder. "Dude, you need to tell her. Just be yourself."

"You," Knuckles shook his head, "have changed a lot since our first meeting." He held his hand and I shook it.

"So have you."

He didn't answer, but nodded a farewell and left.

Then I yawned and decided to sleep. It had been a very long and very confusing day.

* * *

The next morning I was watching TV and the news popped up with one of those Breaking News stories.

" _The state-of-the-art jewelry store, Stephanie's, appears to have been robbed late last night. The only thing taken was a priceless jewel, a Loose Unheated Blue Cushion Sapphire put on display only a week prior to the theft. No leads have been found yet, but authorities are currently investigating."_

I texted Amy, _'We know nothing.'_

The reply was simply, _'I'm going to talk to Rouge later. That girl is going to get in some serious trouble one of these days.'_

 **Well… foreshadowing the next few chapters here. Nothing too dramatic, but hey. A Girl's gotta have fun.**

 **Of course, it doesn't help that we have three plots starting up right now. Yep! We are officially getting past the relationship chapters! (Okay, so Sonic has quite a few and Sonia has about...one left. But hey, Manic's done!** _ **Almost. Or have you forgotten of what's to come, Era?**_ **Yes, I remember. But that is technically a plot, not background.)**

 **Anyway, review what you thought about the interesting relations explored in this chapter and hope to see you around soon! Have a great day (or night… you know what, just have a great life! Life is good!)** _ **(LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE IT DIES!)**_ **(*face palm* No. Just...no.)**


	21. The Perfect Crime

_**Back to Manic! Feel free to read all about his and Rouge's wacky adventures after me and Era respond to reviews!**_

 _ **Guest: Sonic actually wouldn't have any idea what Sonia and Manic would look like in the present, actually. Keep in mind that he hasn't seen them or any photos of them for ten years- he struggles to remember what they looked like as six-year-olds, much less be able to imagine what they'd look like in the present. So even if they bump into each other on the street, he wouldn't make the connection.**_

 _ **Caisha12: Best Sonamy on Fanfiction, huh? Achievement unlocked!**_

 _ **Juancastri11: Aw, you're nice.**_

 _ **Zosonils: Glad you didn't get caught. "No ma'am, I wasn't laughing at you, I was just reading fanfiction." Yeah, that'll fly. But I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!**_

 _ **Starlight Sparks: Thanks!**_

 _ **Autumn: Yeah, we've had that date planned for a while now. So much fun to finally write it!**_

 _ **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: You and me both.**_

 _ **UltimateCCC: Um… okay. Not totally sure what you mean by that, but okay.**_

Matthews's POV:

I've always had trouble sleeping, so getting to the deli by midnight to meet Rouge was no problem for me. I wore my usual dark red vest with the hood, so my face was mostly hidden. The ratty pair of jeans I wore all the time were already a darker shade of gray, and my dark red sneakers were mostly hidden by the cuffs of my pants that sagged below my ankles. I didn't have to wear my black hoodie since I probably wouldn't be the one who could get caught on camera, but it's always better to dress dark during a job. Besides, it was a warm night.

Hitching a ride on the back of a streetcar, I made it to the deli with time to spare. Hooking my thumbs in my pockets and slouching against the brick wall, I blended perfectly into the night environment. Perfect.

Right as the hands of the wrist-watch I swiped turned to midnight, Rouge rounded the corner, wearing her usual black and gold trench coat over white boots. She didn't see me in the darkness, crossing and her arms and huffed impatiently, scanning the area for any trace of me.

Sneaking up behind her, I covered her eyes with my hands. "Guess who!" As I had suspected she would, Rouge twisted my arms behind my head in a painful position until she saw who it was she was defending herself against.

"Oh. It's you." she said flatly, releasing her grip. I rubbed my aching wrists and grinned up at her.

"Miss me?" I asked.

"Hardly. Let's go, we don't have all night." Whipping around, Rouge walked briskly up the sidewalk, me following close behind.

"So give me the details," I said, catching up and walking alongside her. "What kind of computer security are we talking here?"

"I know from my sources that they generally use the AES algorithm encryption for the master computer, and an IP camera system in every hallway."

"Sheesh. You weren't kidding when you said this place was hardcore."

Rouge turned and glared at me. "I _never_ kid."

Okay then.

The walk to the jewelry store was quick, Rouge never pausing in her no-nonsense stride. When we arrived at the building, I quickly learned that she wasn't kidding when she said that she didn't kid.

"... _Wow._ " I said simply, gazing up at the gargantuan structure. It was at least three stories tall, the outside made of light gray stone (no graffiti either- weird, since this place seems to me like a vandalism super-magnet). Narrow windows lined the top and middle floor, the glass in the panes shaded. The revolving front doors were clear, almost transparent glass edged by silvery metal frames. Even in the dead of night I could read the shimmering silver block letters of the sign above the doors, reading ' _Stephanie & Co.'_

Rouge stared up at the building with like I was, but rather than a look of wondering awe like me, her expression read something closer to… hunger. Greed. She was crazy about this store and everything in it, and she wanted it all to be hers.

"Let's move. We're on a time crunch." she said, turning her focus away from the front of the building and moving to the right side, slipping between to narrow alleyway to the back area. It was much less impressive back there, a simple black metal door with a plain latch handle replacing the glamorous glass revolving door. A small keypad was mounted on the wall between the door and the fire escape ladder. A few crates were stacked atop each other in the back end of an open truck; probably full of new jewels to exhibit in the morning.

"First things first-" said Rouge. "We need to get in."

"Got it. Any other obvious statements you'd like to contribute?"

She glared at me. "Come on," she sneered, stalking over to the keypad on the wall. She crossed her arms and glared at me expectantly. "Crack it. I know you can."

"Will do, angel." I sauntered over to the keypad, examining the buttons with an expert eye. I assumed that Rouge didn't know the password, but that no problem.

"What are you doing?" she asked scrutinously as I rifled through my knapsack that I had brought along. Combing through various supplies and bits of debris, I finally found it: my tech scrambler.

All it is is a hand-held mini computer that I can plug into other devices. It helps me a lot with the hacking process, especially on the advanced systems. I use it mostly when the data encryptions are more advanced than 128-bit, but that doesn't happen often in my experience. But I _do_ use it for these such occasions.

I untangled a cord out from the bottom of my pack and connected it to my scrambler. On the other end of the cord was a small electric patch that I stuck to the top of the keypad. I typed in my command to search for every possible passcode, and within a few minutes the scrambler had figured out every code and detected the correct one. The keypad buzzed green and I opened the door for Rouge, bowing low and grinning up at her as she strutted in.

"Ladies first, m'lady," I saw the slightest hint of a smile creep up on her features before she quickly stifled it, replacing it with a grimace.

"Took you long enough. Let's go."

Through the door was a darkened hallway; I could make out the outlines of various objects throughout the area, but other than that I was practically blind. Figures this would be the day I forgot my flashlight at Curtis's.

"What's the plan?" I whispered. I could hear the door shutting behind us and Rouge fiddling around with something. A light came on, and I saw her holding two small but bright flashlights. She handed me one, then pulled a folded sheet of paper out from her coat pocket.

"Follow me," she breathed, stepping silently down the hall and beckoning me to follow. The beam of light protruding from the flashlight led the way down to a sleek metallic door, this one unlocked. Through there was a large circular room, the ceiling high up and mirror-like, and glass displays placed appealingly throughout the area. High windows were placed up near the ceiling, moonlight pouring in through the narrow metal bars covering the glass.

" _Dang_ , this place is deluxe," I commented, looking around and nodding in approval. Rouge wasn't listening; she was busy unbuttoning her trench coat and taking out various pieces of equipment from the pockets.

"Here," she said, handing me an ear piece. "This is so we can communicate throughout the job. The room with the master computer is in the next corridor, third room to the left. Contact me once you've hacked the main defenses."

"Which ones?"

Rouge waved her hand around. "See these?"

"... See what?"

"Hold on," she said, pulling out a small plastic spray bottle filled with a clear liquid. She sprayed it in every direction, and glowing red lights appeared like magic before my eyes.

"Laser tripwires. They start right in front of where we're standing and stretch clear across the room. Motion activated. I could try to fly my way through them, but that would be too risky. You need to shut them down."

"Got it."

"The jewel," said Rouge, jabbing her forefinger out past the lasers. "Is in the glass case with the sensory receptors. I can break through those on my own. I just need you to override the security and keep the surveillance cameras off me. Understood?"

I snapped to attention, saluting to her. "Ma'am, yes ma'am!"

"Don't get witty." she sneered. "Oh, and take this with you. It'll weigh me down." Rouge pulled off her trench coat and handed it to me, revealing a pair of leathery black wings. She turned to face and I felt my face grow bright red. _Hol-ee Chaos._

"Oh geez- um…" I stammered, averting my eyes. Obviously, this girl had never heard the phrase 'modest is hottest'. She wore a sleek, skin-tight black jumpsuit with a hot pink heart on the chest, showing off a bit too much cleavage for my liking. (Oh, who am I kidding- I felt dirty just looking at her. Someone get some censor bars.)

Rouge caught on to the cause of my discomfort and scowled. "Quit staring."

My cheeks grew hot, and beads of sweat began forming on my forehead. "What? No! No, I'm not- it's just- can you like, put on a shirt or something?"

"... what?" Rouge gaped at me in confusion. Had no one ever asked her that before? I'm surprised.

"Uh… Y- y'know what? Nevermind. I'll just, uh, get going. Things to do, computers to hack, all that fun stuff. Um… yeah." I rushed off down the corridor, clutching my knapsack and her coat. I fumbled around in my bag until I found my lockpicking kit, busting through to the computer room within minutes. The master computer was smaller than I had imagined; it was just a simple desktop (I was sort of expecting one of those over-the-top motherboards that you see in action movies. Oh well). I plugged in my scrambler to the router, hacking through the first three passwords and logging me onto the starter page.

I quickly realized that this was no ordinary desktop computer. I had never seen such an advanced firewall before; using a combination of symmetric _and_ asymmetric ciphers? This place really is state-of-the-art.

It took me while to find and decode the defense data, and a bit longer to decrypt the password needed to shut it down. I strapped the ear piece that Rouge had given me onto the side of my head, pressing the button on top.

I heard a crackle of radio static, then her voice. " _You got it?"_

"I've readied the code needed to debar the lasers but I'm not sure how long I can make it last, so you'll need to hurry."

" _Excellent. Cameras?"_

Oh crap, I almost forgot. That could've been a disaster. "... One moment, if you please." I pulled up the file that held the surveillance data, and nine different screens popped up in the window. The one on the far left showed where the sapphire was stored; I hurriedly reprogrammed the camera to shift up, and for the quality to go fuzzy and pixelated. Perfect.

"Ready when you are, angel. Do your thing."

" _Don't call me angel. Shut it down in three… two… one…"_

I typed in the code to the password field and an icon popped up announcing that I had destabilized the defense, and did I want to reinstate it? I exited the window, but it kept popping up again and again and again. It was annoying. I wished that I could see her through the cameras, to get a feel for her technique.

This was getting boring. I pulled out my drumsticks from my back pocket and began tapping them absentmindedly on the desk. Somehow through the rhythm, I devised a poem in my head.

 _So hot of a bat was that girl_

 _Through the sky she did fly and she twirled_

 _She could steal a jewel,_

 _make me feel like a fool_

 _I'm so in love that I think I might hurl._

Thank you, thank you. Your applause flatters me.

Checking my watch, I saw that it had only been twelve minutes since Rouge had gone in. Really? It seemed like a lot longer than that to me. Well, there's always time for more poetry. _There once was a man from Nantucket-_

Suddenly the intercom in my earpiece began emitting the familiar buzzing noise, and Rouge's voice emerged through the static. " _I got it."_

"You got the jewel? That fast?" I asked incredulously. "No way."

" _Way."_

"Well, I'm impressed."

" _I get that all the time. Let's get outta here- I'll meet you by the fire escapes."_

"Race ya."

" _Too late, slowpoke, I'm already at the doors."_

"Cheater."

" _Ametuer."_

Grinning to myself, I quickly exited out of the surveillance windows and erased my hacking history, then logged out and shut down the desktop. I slung my knapsack back over my shoulder and snatched up Rouge's trench coat. I wondered briefly what she might keep in there, and before I could restrain myself I was riffling through the folds of her coat, scrutinously examining the contents of the pockets. The buttons were real gold, and the leather belt definitely wasn't cheap. In one of the pockets was a roll of mints and some spare change (which I pocketed), and in the other was a just a bit of lint. But I had hunch that this had a little more to it.

I shook the jacket around a bit, carefully running my fingers over the insides. Sure enough, I found six slim, zippered pouches sewn carefully on the insides, stuffed with goodies. So I wasn't the only one who sewed extra storage space on the insides of all my clothes. (See? I'm normal! And you didn't believe me. For shame.)

The goods inside here were far more interesting. In one I found a pink pearl bracelet edged with what appeared to be real platinum, and in another a pair of dangly jade earrings. It seemed as though _Stephanie's_ wasn't the first jewelry store Rouge had raided tonight. A diamond-studded silk scarf was folded over two or three gold bangle bracelets. Impressive.

I returned the jewels back to the pockets where I had found them and was about to get going when my thieving sense struck. Fingering the bottoms, I found yet another zippered pocket, this one a little deeper and heavier than the others. I opened it, pulling out a pair of police-grade handcuffs- no key.

Something's wrong with this picture.

I realized that I had been searching through Rouge's coat for over eight minutes and sprinted to the exit, tucking the cuffs into one of the inside pockets of my vest. _Why_ did she have those? Rouge was no cop!

Except that maybe she was.

After all, Rouge _is_ an agent of GUN. She works for some big government organization doing who-knows-what for a living. She's not _technically_ one of the feds, but given how little faith she had in my skills, and the fact that she was carrying this filthy thing in the first place… no. No. Not even gonna think about that.

I made it to the back door in record time, panting a bit from my power sprint. Rouge was waiting outside by the fire escapes, arms crossed and a dissatisfied scowl on her face.

"Doing some last minute shopping in there, princess? Or do you enjoy keeping me waiting?" she said coolly, examining her fingernails. She eyed her trench coat in my arms and, quicker than I would have thought possible, snatched it away and buttoned it back up. I still didn't feel real comfortable looking at her, though (yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, but you idiots should really come to grips with the fact that maybe- _just_ maybe- not all guys enjoy looking at girls in that way, like… like… _objects_ or something. Don't hate me 'cuz I ain't a sleaze).

Suddenly, a shadow of realization crossed Rouge's face. Her eyes flicked in my direction, then for seemingly no reason she spun around once. Her icy turquoise eyes narrowed into slits, her lips pursed tightly.

"What did you take?" she growled.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play games with me. You took something from my jacket."

"Prove it."

"I don't need to. I know you took something and if you try to deny it I will beat you into the ground until you confess."

I smirked and reached into my vest, pulling out the cuffs and twirling them on my finger. "Care to explain, beauty queen?"

Her expression never wavered, but I could tell that she was upset that I had found the cuffs. "That's none of your business," she said curtly.

"Oh, I think it is. What exactly were you planning to do with a pair of police-grade handcuffs?"

Rouge sniffed rather snobbishly, refusing to look me in the eye. "Maybe I carry cuffs with me because of my job, ever thought of that?"

I didn't answer, but attempted to scan her thoughts. Rouge's job almost never involved arresting people. She left that bit of dirty work to the authorities. But she had been issued those cuffs by a higher-up… recently. And suddenly it all just clicked.

"Woah, woah, woah, hold up-" I said, holding up both hands in disbelief. "You were gonna sell me out, weren't you?"

Her eyes widened and her lips pursed even tighter than before. Anyone else might have mistaken that for a look of accused outrage, but I knew better.

"Don't try and lie to me, I already know that you were," I spat angrily. Was _this_ the only reason why she brought me along? So that if one of us messed up, I could take the fall?

"I don't need to explain myself to you. Girl's gotta look out for number one, y'know." she replied, hard and indifferent .

My first instinct was to shout at her, to storm off and refuse to have anything to do with her ever again. I was _mad,_ dang it. Yeah, I get it, we weren't exactly friends or anything, but plotting to frame me for her half of the job? That's low.

But… I didn't want to do that. I don't like being angry, that just ain't my thing. I closed my eyes and clenched my fists as tightly as I could, then released. I was still angry… but I didn't feel like blowing up anymore.

Taking a deep breath, I faced Rouge. "Look, I get it. You didn't really know whether or not I could be trusted to do my end of the job. You weren't able to trust me on my word, and to be totally honest, I didn't really expect you to. But having a plan to pin all the blame on me? That cuts deep. I think I at least deserve to know _why._ "

Rouge didn't answer, but turned, her back facing me. Guess I ain't getting that explanation tonight after all. I was about to leave when she spoke suddenly, startling me.

"It's nothing personal, alright?" she said sharply. I could feel the guilt in her voice, although she was doing an excellent job of masking it. "But the fact stands that if something- _anything_ \- had gone wrong and GUN had found out what I was doing, I'd be given twenty to life in a heartbeat. And I _don't do jumpsuits,_ okay?"

I had the feeling that there was a bit more to it than just the (albeit nauseating) prospect of wearing a fluorescent-orange prison jumpsuit, but it was to fuzzy for me to sense. All I could tell was that GUN was keeping Rouge out of the clink on a deal of some sorts, and that she had a rap sheet even longer than mine. Color me impressed.

"Hey," I said, walking up behind her and handing her the cuffs. "I had fun tonight. No harm, no foul, am I right?" She looked a bit surprised at first and peered over to me apprehensively, allowing the tiniest of smiles to escape her lips.

"I do have one more question, though-" I said as I got ready to leave.

She rolled her eyes. "What?"

"Does this count as a date? 'Cuz this felt like a date to me."

"I will _pay you_ to shut your mouth for longer than two seconds."

"No need, angel face. I don't care about money, and the only jewel I like is you."

 _ **Ah, Manic. I don't believe Rouge could ever pay you enough to keep you quiet.**_

 _ **So this technically wasn't a first date for these two (not by Rouge's standards, anyway), but it does include one of their favorite date activities: going "shopping" (their other favorite will be going dancing/ clubbing. Both of them love the party scene). And yeah, Manic's no perv. As stated before, he understands people way more than your average person. He understands that everyone has real, individual minds and feelings of their own, and thinks it's wrong for women to be seen as objects of lust or prizes to be won. That's why he's uncomfortable with women who dress like tramps.**_

 _ **So to answer your inevitable question: Yes, Manic does get angry from time to time (Uncle Chuck, anyone?). But the thing is, that was an extreme case. He doesn't like feeling mad or holding grudges for the most part- they cramp his style. But when he begins to build a growing resentment or hatred of something/ somebody, watch out. And why didn't he start shouting at Rouge like any normal person would've? Simple. Manic's not normal. He gets angry, but cools off really fast. As stated prior, Manic understands people. He knows why they do what they do, and most of the time he can relate with them and forgive them if their intentions/ motives are in the right place. The only times when he blows up is 1, When a person is purposely doing something he considers wrong, or 2, When his own emotions about the situation are so strong they completely overshadow his sensing abilities.**_

 _ **And yes, Rouge has driven Manic to poetry!**_

 **And I died… like literally. I started to tear up because I was laughing so hard. Wish I thought of it…**

 _ **WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN ANXIETY!**_

 _ **The next Manic chapter won't be a romance one. Rouge won't even be in it (at least not in person, and possibly not even mentioned). What will be in it you ask? Try several near-death experiences.**_

 _ **Speculate about it in the comments!**_

 **...You know, I think I'm just going to let her leave it at that. But at least it's a break from 'relationships'. Anyone else getting sick of them? Ugh… As I have said before, this is about building relations between characters and building up the plot. The good news is… I think we're REALLY close to Manic and Sonia meeting up again. YAY!**


	22. Ganging Up

**Halo's up! And let me just say… I have very mixed feelings about this chapter. Also, this was Halo's idea. She wrote this. Don't kill me.**

 _ **Why would they kill**_ _ **you**_ _ **? You're the nice, sane one! If anyone's gonna die, it'll be me! Readers, I ask this in complete faith of your mercy- please do not hunt me down after you finish reading this chapter. Please.**_

 _ **Moving on to a less ominous note, reviews!**_

 _ **UltimateCCC: Hate to break it to ya, pal, but Manic is**_ _ **not that type of person**_ _ **. He won't be doing the do with anyone unless that special someone's got a ring on their finger- one that**_ _ **he**_ _ **gave them, mind you.**_ **(Dude. This is a PG rated fanfiction. Honestly, we're not those kinds of people. If you're looking for that, then you ain't gonna find it here.)**

 _ **Gwencarson126: Oh, the subject of Chaos Emeralds will be coming up soon enough.**_ **(Stealing a Chaos Emerald… Not exactly.)**

 _ **Autumn: Yup, Manic's a poet and everyone can know it.**_ **(*facepalm* HALO! WHY?)**

 _ **StarlightSparks: No, no, don't apologize- I have just become the subject of a pun! One more thing to check off the bucket list.**_ **(That's on your bucket list? As for the pun, relax, it's the ERA of puns. And that was a really bad one…)**

Matthew's POV:

Tech Scrambler? _Check._

Lock-picking set? _Check._

Boyish Charm? _Triple-Check._

Twas the night of the big heist that we all had been planning for months (pardon my poetic license), ever since June when Ricky (remember him?) clued us in on the big plans his buddy Keith had for a certain empty penthouse on 8th Street. I had been excited to find out that Rick wanted me to come help out on the raid. This was a big deal for me; I might be a seasoned delinquent, but I was still the youngest member of the gang and thus the lowest-ranking in terms of seniority. Recognition equals respect, and respect is everything.

Rick had gotten us a basic floor plan of the penthouse, a ritzy five-roomer with a balcony and view of the city. Snazzy. It was on the borderline between uptown and downtown Station Square and on any one turf, so if we get seen by another gang they ain't gonna bother us- unless they're Meerkats, but those guys are demon spawn so they don't count.

'Sides me and Rick, there was also Mitch coming along to drive the getaway car and keep an eye out for the fuzz. Curtis and Gabe were coming too- they were there for 'acquisition of valuables' (swiping everything that in sight). Me? I was going to do what I do best: hack. Sure, I was only sixteen, but even guys twice my age can't step to me when it comes to computers. Probably why I got recruited for this job in the first place.

We had to keep it small; the apartment was close enough to the nicer neighborhoods that with one call from a suspicious neighbor, we'd be busted, and if we got caught by the cops, that's a guaranteed six months of jail time, which none of us could afford at the moment, least of all me. I'm still underage so I go to juvie, which is cool and all but it gets old pretty fast. And escape plans and manhunts are very annoying things to deal with.

The plan was that we would meet Ricky and Keith at the target house at around two in the morning. I'd crack the alarm and unlock the doors then, after scoping out the area to double- check that the coast was clear, I'd let the boys in to go nuts.

My knapsack was packed with the essentials: Tech scrambler, lock-picking kit, one or two smoke bombs, swiss army knife, mini-crowbar, bolt cutters, leather gloves, ceramic spark plugs, and a bag of jelly beans. Sounds like a lot, but it's what you want if you don't wanna get busted.

"Let's get a move on, Maniac," said Curtis. We had been hanging around in his apartment for most of the night, preparing for the heist. He was wearing a tight black tank top and black ski mask, leather gloves covering his fingers. A crowbar was hitched in one of the belt loops of his jeans and he carried with him an extra-large pillowcase. Standard work clothes, in other words. "Mitch is waiting out in the van."

"One sec," I said, checking for the millionth time that I had gotten everything. I didn't wanna mess this up; if I became the reason we got caught because I forgot something (again), then I might never get recruited for another job.

Mitch was blaring his horrible surf music (why? _Why?_ ) and picking at his fingernails with a blade, turning to us with a grin and gesturing for us to hop in. Rick sat in the backseat, smoking a weed. I wrinkled my nose at the scent but said nothing- it didn't matter anyway, he'd just blow smoke in my face for mentioning how much I hated that smell. Mitch revved the engine and in moments the tires of the second-hand van were screaming in protest as he tore down the road, and I felt a sudden fondness for whoever invented seatbelts. We stopped off to pick up Gabe from his house and arrived at the penthouse in minutes, even though it was miles out of our neighborhood.

The building was a bit shorter than your average apartment building, but it still projected an air of privileged superiority. I could practically smell the cash from where I was; nothing like the smell of money in the morning- two in the morning, to be precise.

Outside the building's front doors was a male squirrel, about in his mid-to-late twenties. His fur was scruffy, a muddy shade of brown, and two buck teeth peeped over his lower lip in a permanent scowl along with a limp but still smoking cigarette. He was wearing only a ratty pair of blue jeans, his arms and chest dotted with various tattoos. I could tell he was the Keith Ricky had been talking about, but not because I could read him- all I could make of him was that he was a heavy smoker and long-time gangster, one of the loners who hops around from gang to gang, trading loyalties for cash. Not exactly my favorite type of person, but I've never had any real beef with a loner before. Pretty chill guys, for the most part.

Rick walked forward first, dropping his worn out cigarette on the sidewalk and crushing it into a pile of ash beneath his boot. He and Keith bumped fists, exchanging muttered greetings.

"Guys," said Rick, "This is Keith. He's the guy who got us this job inna firs' place."

" 'Sup," said Keith.

"Uh, so..." said Rick, shoving his hands in his hoodie pockets. "Yeah. He like, knows what to do, so y'know… listen to him. Yeah." Way to speak with conviction, Rickster. Bravo.

We turned our attention over to Keith, who spat out his cig onto the ground and kicked it aside. He crossed his arms, his beady black eyes looking us over with scrutiny. He paused at me, scanning me up and down; I felt like I was was going under an X-Ray machine.

"Who's the kid?" he asked Rick in a deep, gruff voice. _Kid?_

"Oh, him? S' Maniac. Told you 'bout 'im."

"Aw yeah, I remember,"

I wondered briefly what Rick had told him about me, but figured it was most likely the good stuff since I was allowed to come. Still, I didn't like the way Keith had been looking at me, like I was nothing- less than nothing, just because of my age. Who was he to judge?

"Come on, we've got work to do," barked Keith, turning around and walking briskly to the side of the building. He reached one long, muscled arm up to pull down the fire escape ladder, climbing up and nodding his head for us to follow (Mitch opted to stay in the van and alert us if the cops show). He repeated this until we all made it to the roof, on which were a few generators and a door hatch that presumably led down to the living spaces.

"You. Maniac," he said abruptly, snapping his fingers for me to come. I walked over to where he was standing, next to a generator with what appeared to be a metal fuse box on top.

"Do your thing, and don't screw up. The mark is Room D-13." Keith said gruffly.

Real nice, this one. "Will do." I replied dryly, retrieving my tech scrambler from my bag. I couldn't find any proper outlets to sync up with, so I activated the magnet connection and set it down overtop the fuse box.

The scrambler was able to hack through the fuse box to access the main files of the building, including the burglar alarms for the entire fourth floor. I zeroed in on D-13, silencing the alerts for the room and destabilizing the window padlocks. Piece of cake.

"Good to go," I said cheerfully, setting a timer for the alarms to turn back on in five hours, then unhooking the scrambler. Keith, who had been staring over my shoulder for most of the time, nodded curtly and gestured to the door hatch. I tossed my lock picking kit to Curtis, who busted open the door in less than two minutes. Nice.

All of us crept down the stairs silently, barely making a creak. Floor D was on top, so all it took was the boys keeping watch through the hallway as I picked the lock. The door clicked open and I peered inside, squinting to get a good look at my surroundings.

Illuminated by the glow of my flashlight, I could see that the folks who lived here were definitely not living on a dollar a day. The furniture was posh and sophisticated, hardly a speck of dust atop the sleek leather cushions and velvet pillows. The mahogany coffee table shone with polish, a sixty-five inch flat screen TV acting as the centerpiece of the room. Several pieces of abstract sculpture were placed in key areas, and through an arch next to the sofa was a hallway leading to the bedrooms and kitchenette. I slunk into the hall, careful to make sure that my gloves were properly on before touching anything.

The kitchen was state-of-the-art, and I immediately spotted some appliances I knew would bring in a bundle of cash apiece; better point 'em out to Curtis and Gabe when they get in. The bedrooms were just as luxurious- whoever lived here had great taste, even if it was a bit fancy for my liking.

The first one on the right seemed to function as a guest room, as there were no personal effects lying around like you would see in a frequently used bedroom. I was reminded of the upscale hotel room I once spent the night in when I was fourteen, before I got arrested for impersonating the mayor's nephew. That was a fun night.

I peeked under the bed to see if there were any hidden goodies there; unfortunately, nothing but lint and what appeared to be a stack of old newspapers. Dang it. Usually people liked to hide their deep dark secrets under the bed or something. I reached to examine the newspapers, and before I had even gotten one in my grasp, I felt a pair of huge, burly hands grab hold of my ankles and yank me out from under the bed.

Whoever had grabbed me was definitely _not_ my friend. He twisted my arms behind my back and kneed me in the small of my back when I tried to stomp on his feet, and if you don't think that hurts, you're crazy. I knew that Curtis and the others were still outside the door, and if thought that if I yelled loud enough, they'd come help me. I started to yell at the top of my lungs, but was quickly cut off by the burly hand that clasped around my mouth.

I bit down hard on one finger, tasting the blood as it ran through my teeth. My captor let out a cry and his grip loosened slightly, just enough for me to wiggle out of his arms. And I would've gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for those meddling-

On second thought, I wouldn't exactly call them kids. Not unless those poor children all suffered from gigantism (in which case I send them my sympathies). Seriously, even in the dark I could tell that the four guys who ran into the room were at least a head taller than me and way stronger.

But I still had the advantage of speed. I ducked down as one of them attempted to grab me by the shoulders, slipping between his legs to try and make a run for it, only to bang headfirst into the shins of another. He pressed one knee down on my back and the other overtop of my legs so that I couldn't move below my neck, kicking off my backpack in the process. Two of the other guys held down my head and arms, pressing my face into the carpet, and wondered briefly if I would suffocate before they did anything. That brought up an excellent question- what were they trying to do? All the physical contact should've given me some kind of reading, but I was so out of my mind with fear that I couldn't get a good picture on anything. All I could tell was that these guys were not warm and cuddly pacifists, which any moron could've figured out at this point.

And then something occurred to me.

 _These guys could be trying to kill me._

I heard a scuffling in the background, hushed voices and indistinct words. My heart was racing and I was on the verge of panic; struggling, I knew, would be useless, as I had three guys who were all bigger than me holding me down. The question was _why._ I didn't know what their problem was. Heck, I didn't even know who these guys _were._

I felt a sharp prick in my neck and moaned as I felt something thick and painful being injected into my vein. My survival instincts kicked in and I tried desperately to summon the energy to break free, but it was as if my strength was slowly draining away. I was barely conscious of the fact that the three guys had finally gotten off me and were fastening something around my wrists and arms; I could hardly see straight and my hearing was going all fuzzy. In one of my last moments of consciousness I muttered a few choice phrases under my breath, and someone punched me in the face, the blow hard enough to rattle the insides of my skull.

And that's about all I remember before I blacked out.

* * *

Was I dead?

'Cuz I felt dead.

The hazy memories of the attack slowly came into focus. A bunch of guys jumped me, and then… that's all I got. I could tell that at the moment I was strapped to a chair, and even when I knew for a fact that my eyes were open I couldn't see a thing. I briefly wondered if they had injected me with some kind of magic blindness potion, then felt something itchy tickle my face.

"No way…" I said aloud, moving to raise my hand to scratch the itch but finding it strapped tightly to the back of the chair. "Is there a bag over my head? There had better not be a bag over my head." Someone flicked a light on, the dank artificial light streaming dully through the burlap sack obscuring my vision.

"He's up!" I heard someone shout. The scuffling of feet grew louder until I was mostly positive that there were two or three guys standing around me. My hypothesis was confirmed when the bag was yanked roughly off my head, revealing an overly muscled grizzly bear that I didn't recognize but was most likely one of my attackers, Keith, and… Rick.

"Okay. Joke's over." I said. "If I'm getting punk'd or something, whoever's hiding behind the potted plant can come out now. This _isn't funny_ , guys."

Keith turned to Rick. "Isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, is he?"

"Don't underestimate him," said Rick dryly, lighting up a new cigarette.

"Yeah, I'm not as dumb as I look," I said. "I may look all sweet and unassuming, but on the inside, I'm an _animal._ So… watch out!"

Rick rolled his eyes and Keith raised an eyebrow. "Definitely not the sharpest."

"What's it to you?" I asked.

The squirrel ignored me and turned to Rick, "Are you sure he even knows the days of the week?"

"He's Farrell's pet pickpocket. He knows everything."

I cut in the conversation again, "Well, I wouldn't say _everything_. I don't know his favorite color. Oh wait, yes I do. It's green. But I don't know whether or not he likes pepperjack cheese or the name of his third wife or what-"

" _Do you ever shut up?_ " Keith demanded.

I smirked, "Nope." My eyes flicked over to the grizzly bear, "And I don't know you, nor do I recognize this basement. Or is it a warehouse? No, wait. Are we in an art studio? Oh, please say yes, I love drawing! Although I'm not very good at it. Except for stick figures. But I'd say I can make a pretty accurate flower-"

I was cut off quite rudely by the grizzly bear when he went and slapped me in the face.

"... _Ow!_ " I said, my cheek stinging. "What was _that_ for?"

"Listen up, _Matthews,_ " sneered Rick, crossing his arms and taking a drag of his weed. "I don't think it's a very smart idea for you to be joking around right now, hard as that may be to acknowledge for you. We ain't here to play games."

"Shame. I was hoping for Twister." That earned me another slap, this time on the other cheek.

Okay, clarification time. While on the outside you may see me cracking jokes and being an awesome and studly criminal mastermind, on the inside I'm praying for heavenly intervention because honestly, I'm getting desperate and cannot see any other way out of this situation.

Mom? Dad? Maurice? If you can hear me, _please send help._

"Cut it with the jokes, kid!" shouted Keith, punching me in the stomach and knocking the wind out of me. "Now, I'm gonna say this _real_ slow so you understand the first time- you know just about every tiny detail of how you and th' Strikers operate, an' you're gonna spill the beans. Got it, brain-dead?"

"It's funny how little you think of me. I'm a lot of things, pal, but I ain't no snitch."

"Let me rephrase that-" Keith punched me again but in the nose. I felt a hard, sharp pain, then the warm blood spurting out and dribbling into my mouth and all over my front.

"Either you tell us everything, or you ain't never gonna see the light of day again. Capishe?"

I wished one of my hands were free so I could wipe the blood away. I grinned up at him. "Aw, you're nice. How'd you know I hate it when the sun gets in my eyes?" I was rewarded with a punch to the gut. Yeesh, tough crowd.

"Sorry to disappoint 'cha, fellas, but I ain't saying nothing. Can I go home now?" Another sucker punch. Time for a new strategy.

"... That all you got?" I asked, my chest heaving. Dang, they could hit hard. "Put a little muscle in it! Or are you too soft?"

Keith and the bear looked at each other. I was getting really scared, but I could take it. I had to.

* * *

Dear Chaos (or the Neo Walkers, I guess. Or whoever the heck lives up in the sky and regulates the lives of mortals such as myself),

As I sit here in the process of being utterly pulverized, I ask forgiveness for all my sins, even the fun ones, and any I got away with on 'technicalities'. I'm really, really sorry that I haven't been to church in six years and I promise that I will repent and live a good and saintly life and obey authority figures even when they are clearly wrong and everything else that I can't think of but is key to me escaping from this living nightmare. Also, if at all possible, please prevent me from getting too mangled, as I'd really appreciate if I could keep this last shred of dignity intact, and having a beating heart is a privilege that I've really come to appreciate over the years. I ask this in complete faith in the mercy that you have the power to bestow.

Amen.

 **[Mid-Author's Note from Era: Sorry to interrupt here, but I need to clear this up now. The previous note above is a 'prayer' of sorts. Before any thoughts pop into your head, Halo and I are not quoting any religion that we are aware of. Certain lines may sound similar or even be taken from any real prayers of any religion, but we are not trying to be offensive or sacrilegious in anyway. (Most of the lines we got are from movies just slightly changed.) If anyone is offended by this, know that we did not mean to offend you and attempted to make it as neutral as possible to every religion. Halo and I are religious and respect other beliefs and established churches. We hope that any who are offended accept this apology and continue to read. Thank you.]**

This was the first time I had prayed since I had run away. I mean, _really_ prayed; I had thought I was going to die before, but never, ever, ever like this. But I was pretty sure that the big man up in the sky had more important things on his mind than the problems of a random, unreligious street thief. But I guess the religious habits kinda stuck with me even after I left Southtown. For once in my life, I was wishing I was back in that stupid hick town. At least there, there weren't gangs of thugs ready to smack you in the stomach with a baseball bat because you wouldn't sell out your buddies. I had taken it on as a personal challenge to keep smiling no matter what, at least in front of Team Neanderthal.

Oops, my bad. I meant the Meerkats.

Yeah, I figured it out pretty quickly that it was the Meerkat gang who had planned the ambush. Apparently when I swiped that thumb drive back in June, I pissed them off something fierce. They had been banking on the information contained on the drive to help them with an important job, and I had ruined all their plans.

Thus, a vendetta was born.

Rick had been secretly working with the Meerkats for months, feeding them little bits of information about our gang here and there- just enough to help them out out, but not enough to arouse any suspicion about a possible traitor within the Strikers. That dirty rat was a key component of the scheme made to capture me. I had thought for years that this guy was my friend, and here he was, holding my limp head up for the grizzly bear to punch. Keith stood at the side, arms folded and a smug sneer on his face.

"I'm impressed, Maniac," he said coolly. "Most normal people would have cracked by now. But you ain't normal, are ya?"

Still shaking from the previous blows, I met his eyes with an only slightly wavering smile. "Nope... I ain't. Normal… normal is boring." My voice was only just above a whisper, and my chest heaved with pain even with those few words. I wanted to die (scratch that- I didn't wanna die. I really, really, _really_ didn't wanna die).

"Sure hope we ain't boring you, then. 'Cuz we can keep this up _all night_ if we have to." Keith nodded to the bear, who punched me in the stomach yet again. I wondered foolishly how many bones I must have cracked or broken at this point, then realized it wouldn't matter if I didn't get out of here alive. I stared up at Keith, the grin still on my face but hate radiating from every ounce of my being.

"Course, you could make this easy on yourself and just, y'know, tell us what we wanna hear. I promise you'll get home real safe. You'd like that, wouldn't 'cha, kid?" he said, his voice dripping with condensation. I gritted my teeth in loathing and because I couldn't think of anything bad enough to say, I spat at him. The froth landed a direct hit on his jeans, the look on his face absolutely priceless. If I hadn't been hurting so much I might've laughed.

Keith's jaw hardened and his beady eyes turned to slits. He walked over to me, and before I could open my mouth to say something witty, he walked over me, knuckles curled. In the blink of an eye his fist was flying at me in a lightning-fast sideswipe.

And then the world went dark.

* * *

 _ **Suggested Listening: "Down" by Jason Walker**_

I have no idea how long I was out. All I could tell was that when I finally came to, I was still tied to the chair, and I was all alone.

 _Our hero, the unjustly imprisoned Matthews "Maniac" Hedgehog, struggles to free himself, but his strength is sapped. The cords binding his arms are too strong and refuse to yield. How will our dashing hero escape this time?_

It was dark. I couldn't tell if that was because I was blind or if wherever I was didn't have windows. It didn't matter; my head hurt too much to dwell on it.

I began drumming my stiff fingers against the back of my chair to relieve some of the stress that had been building up. The chances of me escaping at the beginning were slim enough. Now it would be near-impossible.

I didn't wanna die. I didn't wanna die. I didn't wanna die.

I tried to close my eyes to fall asleep again, just so I wouldn't have to think about my future anymore, but my head throbbed so bad that I knew I'd never be able to fall asleep. Not unless Keith went and punched me in the face again.

Sitting there by myself in the dark gave me time to think, lots more than I wanted. How did I get myself into this? All I wanted to do was ransack a house, I didn't sign up for getting abducted and tortured half to death.

 _But you did._

No I didn't.

 _Yeah you did._

Prove it.

 _You signed up for this the minute you joined the gang._

Okay, conscience (or whoever the heck is making me feel guilty), lemme explain something to you. The gang _saved my life_. If it hadn't been for the guys, I would've starved on the streets. That's not just drama, either, that's a stone-hard FACT.

 _You wouldn't have had that problem if you didn't run away in the first place. What would Sonia think of you now?_

My brain paused.

 _And what about Maurice? Huh? He died to help you and Sonia. You were given the life he could've had, and look what you've done with it. You went and got yourself in a life of crime, and now you're gonna die 'cuz of it. You selfish creep._

That's cold.

 _It's true._

Shut up.

 _Truth hurts, don't it?_

My miniature conversation with myself would have continued had I not heard the scuffling of feet outside the door. I quickly fell silent, hanging my head and shutting my eyes to imitate sleep. Good thing I did, because only moments later the door banged open and I had to force myself not flinch. With my eyes closed I couldn't tell exactly who had walked in, but I hated them already.

"He still out?" said one weaselly, unfamiliar voice to my left.

"Looks like it…" Rick's voice. _Jerk._

"Yeesh, it's been an hour already. Keith musta hit 'im hard."

"Darn right he did. Out cold in one punch."

"Still ain't talking?"

"Nope. Maniac might be an annoying lil' prick, but I gotta hand it to 'im- he keeps his mouth shut."

"Exactly how long has this been goin' on?"

"Three hours. We nabbed him at two, woke him up an hour later. Been whacking him hard enough to get Chuck Norris to go crying to his mommy, but he won't say a word."

"He's either the stupidest or the loyalest lil' faggot I've ever seen."

"Loyalty don't mean nothing 'less you get something outta it." One of them jabbed me hard in the forehead. "Hey… Matthews. Matthews, you awake?" I hung totally limp. There was no way I was letting them start beating up on me again, at least not this soon. I needed time to recover, dang it.

The poking stopped for a moment and I thought (or rather, hoped) that they had gone away, but that dream was dashed when I was shoved roughly to the ground, my bound chair going down with me. I was so startled by the impact that I almost cried out, but bit my tongue and stayed silent.

"Huh," said Rick. "Guess he really is still out."

"I coulda told ya that."

"Thought he was faking."

"Nah, no one's that good."

" 'Cept this guy. I swear, pathological liar since he was ten." I take offense to that. Everything I say is true- or at least as true as it needs to be.

"What if he still won't talk? We can't keep him here forever."

"Quit your worrying, we've got it all figured out. If he's still quiet by tomorrow, Keith's breaking out the acid. That oughta loosen his lips." My blood froze. Years of slang-infested conversations had provided me a near-perfect knowledge of what he meant by 'acid'.

I was toast.

"And if it doesn't?"

"It will. Now shut up and stop being so paranoid."

Their footsteps grew fainter and fainter until I was enveloped in total silence and darkness once again. I was still on my side, my aching face pressed against the cold, hard floor. The gritty texture of the ground irritated my skin, and my hair was falling in my face and tickling it uncomfortably. I tried to blow it out of the way, but it just fell back. Eventually, I just stopped trying.

Uncle Chuck was right about me all along. I was nothing but a smart-mouthed punk who couldn't stay out of trouble to save his life. I was grateful the old geezer wasn't here to see me like this, to rub it in my face that I had never amounted to anything.

Sonia… I couldn't bear to think about it. She'd be so disappointed. When Uncle Chuck used to yell at me for failing a test or getting detention at school, she'd always be there to assure me that I wasn't dumb, that I wasn't a bad kid, a bad _person_ , just because I could never seem to stop getting in trouble. She was a great sister. The best.

Sonia never stopped believing in me, even when things got really bad. I feel like the cruddiest person on Mobius when I think about the night I ran away, when I decided to be selfish, to let her fend for herself. I wasn't thinking about how much I would be hurting her by leaving. All I knew was that I had to get away from Uncle Chuck.

I shouldn't have done it.

I shouldn't have run away.

But I did.

And now I'm getting exactly what I deserve.

 _As our Hero laid on the cold concrete ground, he had a confession to make. Matthews Hedgehog was never our Hero. He was never a hero at all. All he was was a self-absorbed, insignificant street thief with no story left to tell. He's sorry for wasting your time._

 _Don't bother tuning in next time, listeners. This is the final adventure of Matthews "Maniac" Hedgehog. We had hoped for a happy ending, but we realize now that those are saved for the real heroes._

 _..._

 _What are you still doing here?_

 _Go home._

 _Show's over._

… _**I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY, MANIC! WHY DID I DO THIS TO YOU?**_

 **Because it's fun to torture your characters?**

 _ **NOT**_ _ **THIS**_ _ **CHARACTER! NOT MY MANIC!**_

 **Um… I'm going to go cry now. And I apologize for the cliffhanger that will not be resolved for another few chapters.**

 _ **In the meantime, you guys can join me in the corner while I mentally punch myself for doing this to my favorite character. I'M SORRY, MANIC!**_

 **Technically, the Greek Heroes never had a happy ending. Let's just call Manic a Greek Hero, shall we?**

 _ **But the Greeks are losers. Manic's not a loser.**_

 **We are not starting** _ **this**_ **argument.**

 _ **Too late. Greeks = geeks.**_

 **What's wrong with GEEKS? I'm a geek!**

 _ **Yeah, but the Greeks were a whole new level of insane geekiness that I could go into detail about. They're worse than LARPers.**_

 **Okay, we're done here. No need to offend anyone.**

 _ **I'm sorry! I just went through a lot of stress! I NEED TO BLOW OFF SOME STEAM BY MOCKING THE G(R)EEKS!**_

 **Review please! (I need to go calm down Halo… AGAIN.)**


	23. Mission Mystic Ruins

**So this is when the timelines of the chapters get very, very, very, very, very, confusing/overlapped. So for the sake of everyone's (including Halo and my) sanity, we're just going to say that this chapter takes place exactly two months after Sonia and Knuckles first meet [or a week after 'The Warning' and 'First Date' and 'Perfect Crime' (those chapters take place the same day, if you hadn't figured it out.)]**

 **It takes place maybe… three days after 'Ganging Up'? I'm not sure. Halo?**

 _ **Yeah, that sounds right.**_

 **Well there ya go. Anyway, so the next five chapters literally take place on the same day. Why? Because we're getting the stories connected! Yay! Now I'll stop talking and let's read (or type in our case).**

 **Reviews!**

 **Gwencarson126: Right?** _ **(IKR?)**_

 **StarlightSparks: You will never know how much your review confused me… Who's Star? And I took offense as well. Thanks a lot Halo. I love that song!** _ **(I agree, having Sonia burst in with her motorcycle would've been hilarious~ but we've got a whole plan mapped out for how this story is going to work, and unfortunately Sonia and her bike won't coming in till later.)**_

 **Zosonils: You may be busy, but I'm not… Just kidding. I have a love hate relationship with all cliffhangers. You want to kill them but you don't.** _ **(Thanks for your support (and promise not to hunt me down). I still feel so bad for doing this to my baby… DON'T HATE ME, MANIC! I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH!)**_

 **Autumn: I can't wait either.** _ **(Glad to hear it!)**_

 **UltimateCCC:** _ **(Well, the thing is, that's**_ _ **not**_ _ **how it is. Sorry, but no.)**_ **I'm with Halo on this one.**

 **SonicLozDPLove: Okay, go back about two chapters and reread the beginning author's notes. There's your explanation.** _ **(Going out on a limb here and guessing that you haven't been reading the author's notes. We mentioned in one of them that the POV order was going to get messed up because of timeline issues. So Manic had two chapters in a row.)**_

 **MeowthKitty: Thanks! Hope you continued to enjoy!** _ **(Aw, you're sweet~)**_

 **Sonic's relationship with GUN… Um… Yeah. I have no idea what's going to go down in this chapter…**

 **YAY! Mystery chapter! (Even to the writers!) Let's find out what happens!**

Sonic's POV:

"I was framed!" the small weasel yelled as I dragged him behind me towards the gate entrance to GUN headquarters in Station Square.

I rolled my eyes and glanced at Tails, "Are all crooks this stupid?"

He shrugged, "For the record, he probably didn't see us in line when he held up the cash register."

Amy, from my behind my right shoulder gave out a small chuckle, "Still can't forget his face as you grabbed him by the collar and flipped him on his back. His eyes were the size of saucers."

Back to the whining weasel as he struggled to get free of my grip.

Honestly, where would he go? I'd catch him in ten seconds if he escaped, so it was pointless to even try. Yet, here this guy was, trying to convince me he was framed of a crime that I saw him commit.

Times like these, I'm grateful Robotnik isn't this much of an idiot. Otherwise, I'd be embarrassed that I hadn't caught him in the six years we'd been fighting.

 _Woah, I've been fighting him for six years?_ My mind found that hard to grasp. It seemed like only yesterday we started our friendly rivalry in the Green Hills. But six years? I really needed to rework my life.

Snapping back into the present, I stopped at the reception window and knocked on the glass.

Xander jolted in surprise, falling right out of his chair. The human hurriedly stood up and apologized. "I'm sorry, Sonic! I was so enwrapped in my book, I didn't see you there!"

His 'book' was a magazine that involved Mobian folklore and superstitions. Never really bought into those things, personally- I'm more of a 'seeing is believing' kinda guy.

Anyway, I shrugged, "You're fine. Can you let us in?"

"Sure thing." He pressed the security gate button and the gates swung open. And of course that's when the weasel tried one last desperate escape. Unfortunately for him, Amy was ready with her hammer. _CRACK_

"Nice swinging, Ames." I commented as the thief fell to the ground with a moan.

Amy tapped the ground with her mallet's head. "Thanks, Sonic."

We dropped off the weasel with an officer and proceeded on to the center of the facility. It was time for our biannual psychological checkup.

No. I'm not kidding. I am required to do this to keep my job.

Allow me to explain: I am a sixteen year old teenager who saw their parents engulfed by fire and lost the rest of their family in a similar way that I _really_ don't feel like discussing. My job is to hunt down the madman who did this to me and countless other innocents and eventually bring him to justice.

Tails' mother died in childbirth and he watched his sister kill herself at the age of three. Literally the next day, his father shoved him out of the house and he became a street rat until I found him three years later.

Amy… Okay, I don't know about her issues, but it's probably nothing pleasant. I know it has something to do with her parents and her hammer. That's all I got.

So if we don't need therapy… well, congratulations to us.

As we walked through halls, we ran into a few familiar faces. First up, a repaired Omega.

"Hey, Omega! How are you feeling?" I asked.

" _ **Systems active. Neutralizers charged and ready to maim."**_

Yep. Omega's fine. "Well, I'm glad you're having a good day. See you around!"

Next person was Rouge. Amy and I immediately averted our eyes and tried to not notice her. Tails didn't really seem to notice our reaction and waved anyway.

"Rouge! How're those communicators working for you and your team?"

"Fine. Thanks for the tune up, Tails." She glared at me and continued walking.

My brother looked a little confused, "What was that about?"

"Nothing!" Amy and I chimed together.

Then came Faker. We didn't really say anything, but just nodded to each other.

Right outside General Tower's office we ran into the last member of Team Dark. Hope Kintobor, Robotnik's third niece on his mother's side… I think. Doesn't really matter. She's too nice to be officially related to him, anyway. Also, I think Shadow would kill me if I said otherwise. He really likes this kid (and I'm going to guess it has something to do with the M-word. Just a hunch).

"Hey, Hope!" chirped Amy.

"Hi guys! Can't talk right now- Omega's gone and wrecked another fighter pilot and Towers wants me to take a look at one of the thrusters to see if we can salvage it. Talk to you later, 'kay?" Hope rushed off down the hall.

Amy, Tails, and I looked to each other and shrugged, then knocked on the general's door. A gruff, "Come in," was heard and we pushed onward.

If there is a book on how to properly greet a General, I haven't read it. So generally, I just walked in and said, "Sup, General?" Not sure how he felt about it, but he never complained. Tails just smiled and gave a friendly wave accompanied by a 'Hi!' Amy, who must have actually had some kind of training in events like this, gave a small curtsy. "Lovely to see you again, General Towers."

Towers gave a nod to acknowledge us, then suddenly became all business.

First to have a 'session' was Tails. There was two reasons behind this. One, he's the youngest. Two, he can't remain sitting focused for very long (pretty sure the kid is ADD… really should get him tested or something) and if he's bored he starts to tinker. And that can sometimes end in an explosion. Yeah, not the best way to start a Saturday.

While he was in the room with General Towers, Amy and I sparred in a nearby training room.

What? Not all of our time is spent gardening.

I ducked a hammer swing and tried to kick the giant thing out of her hands, but Amy flipped gracefully out of reach. Chaos, she's beautiful during a fight. Her pink hair fell in her bright green eyes and- Wait, what? No! Sonic, stop it! Stop it!

Okay… um… back to the actual plot.

"Nice dodge, Ames!" Yes. Much better dialogue.

"Thanks, Sonic. But don't think I'm going to take it easy on you, just because you took me out on a date." She swung again, and this time kicking my legs out from under me after I had dodged the stroke.

I yelped and rolled out of the way of the next hammer, springing to my feet and sprinting around behind her. Then I flipped up and grabbed her hammer, yanking it out of her hands and throwing it across the room. "Well, I'm not going to be easy on you either."

Amy just crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, "Seriously? You just _take_ my hammer?"

"Is that a problem?"

"You _do_ know I have unlimited supply of hammers and taking one isn't going to do anything?" she pulled another hammer out of thin air (I still haven't figured out how she does that).

With a small hesitation, I replied, "Yes… I just may have forgotten."

Amy laughed and charged again, narrowly missing me when I dodged out of the way. She was getting better. If I didn't have my speed, she would have flattened me by now.

The door to the training room swung open, Tower's head popping in. "Amy? If you'll come with me, please?"

She nodded, vanishing her hammer and walking out the door with the General. In her place came Tails, looking a bit shaken but cheerful nonetheless.

"How'd it go?"

"It was okay," he said, shrugging. "He just asked me if I was happy and if I was keeping you out of the kitchen."

"Glad to see he has such faith in me."

"Take it as a compliment," Tails smiled, "At least you don't blow up a workshop every other day."

I winced slightly, "Oh, right. Forgot about that."

Because of the past few explosions in the shop, GUN had been threatening to take away Tails' toolbox. And trust me, when that happens, he's not the only one who almost goes insane. Ever had a smaller sibling keep bugging you because they have nothing to do? Yeah… that's what I have to go through every time they decide to revoke his inventing privileges. It's not fun.

We changed the subject and started a new sparring session. Unlike Amy, Tails could fly, which made everything a lot more interesting. Also, he's my little brother and like most younger siblings, he has a nasty habit of faking injuries then taking advantage of my overprotectiveness to get what he wants- in this case, to win the fight. Basically, picture us fighting, then me panicking and rushing over while apologizing, then a yelling match which turns back into the sparring match. Thus is the Circle of Family Life.

By the time it was my turn to have a chat with the General, Tails and I were going through our tenth or so argument, and Tails was beginning to get frustrated.

"Sonic, I swear, I'm fine!" Tails insisted after I had landed a hard left hook.

"But you have a _black spot_ where I hit you!"

"I singed my fur in the shop last night. It doesn't even hurt anymore. Really Sonic, I'm okay."

I sighed. I could be really overprotective sometimes, but I couldn't help it. "Sorry, buddy."

"No, you're fine."

"Sonic?" said the General, knocking on the opened training room door. I nodded and walked out, trailing behind him to his office. He opened the door for me and gestured to the empty chair in front of his desk. I sat down, crossing my arms.

"So, Sonic…" began Towers, pulling out a file of papers from a drawer in his desk. "How's life treating you?"

Great. He wants to play shrink. "I'm doing okay," I said flatly.

"Glad to hear it." He flipped through the pages in front of him, pausing a few times to read. "How are you enjoying living with Tails?"

"Same thing I told you six months ago- things couldn't be better."

"Anything you'd like to add to that?"

"Yeah. When's the interrogation gonna end? I've got better things to do with my Saturday."

Towers glared at me over the file of papers and I glared back. He wants to pretend to be a psychiatrist? Let him make believe all he wants, but I ain't telling him _squat._

"Have you had any more nightmares as of late?"

"...No." You liar. You have them at least twice a month.

"Have they been about your family?"

" _No._ " I hate it when he guesses right.

"Do you feel like talking about anything?"

" _ **No!**_ "

Towers looked at me, his steely, mismatched eyes boring into my head. Or my soul. Can't decide. I began to sweat.

"... Are you sure?" he asked in a small voice.

I wanted to keep shouting no. I wanted to run out of the room. For the love of Chaos, someone make this torture end.

"Because anything you say in this room, stays in this room. It's all between you and me, Sonic."

"...yeah. I know." I know the drill.

"So _have_ you had any nightmares?"

"... yeah."

"Would you like to talk about them?"

"... I guess."

"Tell me about them. Are they the same ones as usual?"

He was talking about the dream I've been having for the last ten years, and the one he's been hearing about for the last four. It's not even a dream, really; just me reliving the same night, over and over and over again. I didn't like to think about it, much less talk about it.

"... Not this time." That was the truth. My regular dreams of watching Mom and Dad go up in flames and losing Sonia and Manic had morphed into the thing I've been terrified of since I was twelve. Since Tails became my brother. Since Amy joined the team. Since Knuckles, Shadow, Rouge, Cream, Vanilla and everyone I loved and cared about entered my life.

General Towers seemed to have read my mind, "Is it related to the last mission's… ah, _interesting_ turn of events?"

"... yes." What? Robotnik almost _killing Amy and Tails_ was a terrifying experience.

"What exactly happens, if I may ask?"

"What do you think?" I shot back. I really hate these things. Chaos, please save me.

I guess Chaos was in a mood to answer my prayers because a sudden beeping noise from the General's phone cut in before he was able to try and pry the details of my dream out of me.

He looked a tad annoyed, but pressed the 'answer' button. "General Towers."

" _I know you said not to interrupt you, sir, but I thought you may want to be aware that Doctor Robotnik is attacking Mystic Ruins with an army of buzz-bombers. Just thought you should know."_

Never in my whole life had I been so happy to hear the words, "Robotnik is attacking." Hallelujah!

I sprung to my feet and sped over to the door, only stopping when my hand was on the knob. "Permission to give Robotnik a piece of my mind?"

The General looked a tad annoyed, "Granted. We'll finish this conversation later. Head to the debriefing room while I alert Team Dark. And grab your team."

I gave a mock salute, then was out before you could say, "Chaos Control."

* * *

How do I describe debriefing without boring myself out of my mind?

The absolute worst part of any mission, in my not-so-humble opinion, is sitting in a boring room with some old military dude yakking on and on about mission details while fat boy is going to town on the town. And it seems that the more dire the situation, the slower the pre-mission debriefing. Someone put me out of my misery.

To make a long story short (a _very_ long story, mind you): Robotnik's got himself a new toy and is testing it out.

Oh, and apparently Knuckles is needed to drill through the metal (at least according to our inside information… how do we even have an inside man? Whatever. Not my problem). Only problem was, the Knucklehead wasn't actually at the meeting. I promised the General I'd call him as soon as we were done.

When the word, 'dismissed' was finally uttered, I zipped out leaving a trail of blue behind me. Everyone else caught up with me at _The Tornado_. Tails decided to make things longer when he halted everyone for a brief moment to remind us that Robotnik was trying to kill us.

"He's always trying to kill us." I pointed out.

"Remember the last time we fought Robotnik?" said Amy.

"Oh… right." I said sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head. "Um… Tails, do you have a weapon this time?"

He looked at me with a confused look, "Uh… I have a screwdriver. And a monkey wrench."

The two of us just looked at one another for a second, then I turned to Shadow, "Hey Faker, you have a gun Tails can use?"

Now it was Amy's turn to sputter protest, "Hold on a second, he's a kid! He's eleven!"

"Almost twelve!" interjected Tails indignantly.

"He doesn't need a-"

"You had a giant hammer at the age of twelve and nobody said anything to you." I argued. Her protest died in her throat, but the sour expression lingered.

Shadow raised an eyebrow, "Does he know how to shoot?" We all turned to Tails in expectation.

"Uh…" said Tails. "Sorta…? I did design the blaster pistol that GUN now uses for its agents."

Faker stared for a moment, then wandered over to the weapons depot. "Close enough." He grabbed two standard GUN blasters and tossed them over to Tails who caught them very reluctantly. He started to protest, but I interrupted.

"Tails, it's just a safety thing. You do fine with the robots, but with Robotnik and his traps?" I raised an eyebrow.

The kid grinned sheepishly, "I guess this is why you're my older brother."

"You got that right, buddy."

"Great. Now if you two cut it out we can get down to business,." said Shadow, crossing his arms and scowling.

You can probably guess that we left pretty quick after that. While on the wing of the bi-plane, I finally called Knuckles… who ignored me.

I tried again. Again, no answer.

I decided to try one more time and was rewarded with a grumpy, _"Yes?"_

"Yo! Knucklehead!" I grinned slightly and decided to tease, "Why'd ya keep hanging up?"

" _I'm busy, Sonic. Make it quick."_

"Busy? Wait, are you with Sofia?" I couldn't help but glance over at Tails who shared a smirk with me. Oh, Knuckles was going to have a fun conversation with us later.

A very timid, _"Maybe,"_ came over the radio.

"Hi, Sofia!"

A female voice with a slight southern accent came back, _"Hello, Sonic."_

Again, I couldn't help but tease, "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to borrow your boyfriend. Do you mind?"

" _Sure, just make sure he's back by five."_

"Five? Why?"

" _Because I was planning on dinner tonight."_

Tails and I exchanged a look of mild amusement and shock.

" _Uh… I'm going to take this over there. Hold on a second."_ I heard a shuffling in the background, then Knuckles's voice snarled back into focus. _"Sonic, this had better be important."_

"Aw, what's the matter, Knucklehead? Did I interrupt your cuteshy-wootshy, wuvvy-dovey date with Sofi?"

" _SHUT UP, SONIC!"_

"Sheesh, man, calm down. I was only teasing."

" _Sonic, I don't have time for this!"_

"You do now. Robotnik's attacking."

Knuckles's voice changed to one of exasperated concern. _"You're serious?"_

"As Chaos Control. And something about the bot's metal makes it almost impenetrable, so GUN wants you to make an appearance."

He sighed. _"You're sure that you guys can't handle this without me? I'm kind of in the middle of something."_

"Dude, you can put off your date with Sofi for a few hours. I promise you'll be back by five."

" _It's not that simple."_

"It kinda is."

" _I'm on the island."_

Wait, what? "... Why?"

" _I wanted to show Sofia the Master Emerald. I didn't know there'd be an emergency like this."_

 _Note to self:_ Meet this girl that apparently Knuckles likes and trusts enough to take to Angel Island. She has got to be very special or something to get this far with the Knucklehead. "Well, _that_ much is obvious. Couldn't you just like, I dunno, bring her or something? You said she was a pretty good fighter, and I don't think GUN will have much of a prob-"

" _Dude! How thick are you?"_ interjected Knuckles, angry again. _"She's my girlfriend, and as hard as it may be for you to grasp, she isn't used to fighting robots like yours is!"_

Amy, who was only listening to our conversation with mild interest before, perked up and stared at me. I blushed bright red.

"Knuckles, she's not my girlfriend." I said through gritted teeth.

" _Oh, gimme a bre-"_

" **And she's standing right next to me and can hear every word you say."**

Knuckles went silent for a minute, but unfortunately, that didn't last long. _"What's the matter, Little Boy Blue? Did I embarrass you in front of your shweety-weety, wuvvy-wuv Amy?"_ That followed up with several loud and particularly wet-sounding smooching noises.

Amy giggled and my face burned. "Okay, fine. Do the baby talk. Get your revenge. I'm sorry. But seriously dude, can't you drop her off or something?"

Silence for a few moments, then he replied, _"Sonic, by the time I did that, you'd be dead. Or done fighting. Whichever comes first."_

"Okay, ouch. Then why don't you… um… Oh, forget it. I have no idea what to do. Ideas?" I glanced around at the full plane.

Shadow ignored me (unsurprisingly), Rouge just shrugged. Tails gave me a, 'don't look at me', and Amy scrunched up her face in thought.

After a few seconds, I gave up, "Well, we got nothing. You?"

" _I… I'll try and work something out. Where are you headed?"_

"Mystic Ruins, we'll be there in about thirty minutes."

" _Alright. I'll meet you there."_ Then a click was heard indicating that Knuckles had hung up.

I looked awkwardly at Amy and rubbed the back of my neck, my face still slightly red. "Um… that Knucklehead sure is taken with Sofi, uh?"

Tails jumped on the sentence, "Hey, he's accepted she's his girlfriend. I guess Angel Island was just too big of a secret to keep."

We fell into silence again.

* * *

Amy was ticked off… or at least I think she was.

The worst part was I didn't know why. She just stared at the shredded town below with this murderous look in her eyes. When we got the actual ruins the look turned from angry to concern.

"Tails, land!"

The fox looked at her a bit confused. "What?"

"Oh, forget it!" As if my day couldn't get any weirder, Amy jumped off the plane.

No. I'm not kidding. The good news, we weren't that high up. The bad news, it was still high. The weird news, Amy landed on the ground, rolling into a somersault and standing up, her hammer drawn as she smashed one of the bots… and she was completely fine.

Shadow and I looked at each other and jumped after her. Unfortunately, by the time we got down, Amy had taken care of the area and was now helping a coyote who was grumbling something in Spanish. And to my surprise, Amy was answering back in the language as well, probably telling him to calm down.

I radioed Tails to take Rogue and start rounding up the stray bots in the sky. From the explosions in the sky, I guessed they were already on it. Shadow headed towards the town without a word, probably to start clearing it of killer robots.

And now I was stuck between helping Amy and finding Robotnik. The hedgehog was now helping the coyote by patching up a pretty nasty scratch on his arm. "José, hold still! I can't wrap a moving arm."

José, apparently, ceased his fidgeting. He glanced over at me and nodded politely, " _Hola,_ _Señor_ Sonic. Amelia has told me much about you."

Wait, what? I glanced at the now blushing Amy, who hurriedly continued with her wrapping.

"All good things, I hope." I smiled back.

" _Si, Señor."_

"Sonic. Just Sonic."

Amy snipped the bandage. "There you go, José."

" _Gracias."_

Amy helped him to his feet and smiled, "It's good to see you, _Señor_ Rivera"

" _Si._ It is." For no apparent reason, he took her right hand and brought it up to his eyes for inspection. No wait. Not her hand, _her bracelet_. _"Como esta,_ Rin? _"_

Hurriedly, Amy pulled back, "She's fine. We'd better get going. Nice to see you again, José."

 _Okay then… weird behavior from my girlfriend. WAIT. STOP. NO, SONIC. SHE'S A FRIEND. FRIEND FRIEND FRIEND FRIEND._

 _Sheesh, what is with me today?_

"You know that guy?" I asked Amy once we were out of earshot.

"He's an old friend. Come on, there's a whole swarm of bots over there!" Amy charged, hammer at the ready, smashing bots into scrap metal. She could be really scary. And cute.

 _FRIEND FRIEND FRIEND_

It was probably time for me to do something that wasn't standing around watching my girl- I mean Amy, do all of the fighting. I jumped into action, spin-dashing through three buzz-bombers at once.

A large crunching noise to my left informed me that Knuckles was already here. And he did not sound happy.

"Yo! Knucklehead!" I ducked a laser shot and spin-dashed into another bot as Knuckles punched one into oblivion. "Where's Sofi?"

"Still on the island."

Amy smashed a bot and stared at him incredulously, "You _left_ her on Angel Island?"

"It was her idea!" Knuckles protested as his fists crunched into another buzzer.

Shadow suddenly appeared in a burst of golden light, smashed a bee, then vanished in another flash of light. About three yards away, the same image repeated. Then he just seemed to vanish.

I stared at the broken shreds of metal left from Shadow's interactions. "Show off."

Tails suddenly appeared from behind and dismantled a bot that was about to shoot in my direction, "You're just jealous."

"Am not!" I ducked down to avoid a laser.

Amy's voice came somewhere behind me, "You're telling me, you left your girlfriend on Angel Island." A loud smack was heard and I guessed a bot just got hit by the hammer.

"Once again, her idea!"

"That doesn't mean you should just leave her! What's wrong with you?"

Tails and I double-teamed and took out about a dozen more bots, "Admit it. You're jealous."

"No, I'm not! Why would I be jealous of a egotistical, brooding angst-hog?"

Shadow suddenly appeared next to me and glared, "You know I can hear you."

I grinned sheepishly. "Um…hi?"

"On your left." He vanished in another flash of light just as I swung and punched a bee back before zipping straight through it.

Knuckles raised voice caught my attention, but I couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. "I'll be back right after the fight! Which should only be about thirty minutes, at this rate."

"How do you expect to get back that fast?" Amy's voice asked followed by more crushing sounds.

"My Guiding Star Gem."

 **[Oceanera12: Yes, it is a real thing. Look it up.]**

"Did you say, _'Star Gem'_?" Rouge arrived at that moment and seemed to perk up at the thought of another precious gem.

Knuckles popped up to my right and glared at the bat, "It's not for sale."

I smirked, "Yeah, besides, you already got your gem quota for the week, remember?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Rouge stiffened up slightly then destroyed about three bots in a spinning kick.

Amy and I shared a knowing look, " _Stephanie's_ didn't rob itself."

"Really. Can you prove I was there?"

"No, but you can't disprove it, either."

Rouge kicked through another bot, "What about a Star Gem?" Okay, Rouge. Go ahead and change the subject.

"I told you, it's not for sale. Or theft, for that matter."

"Oh Red, you're no fun," said Rouge, pouting and batting her eyelashes flirtatiously. Knuckles rolled his eyes.

"Back off, Rouge. I have a girlfriend."

"...Yes. _Her_." Rouge said, obviously disgruntled about the whole affair. She smashed another bot with a powerful back kick, sending it hurtling into a line of buzzers.

Amy grinned out of the corner of my eye, "You should find yourself a guy, Rouge. Then maybe you won't be so…"

"Batty?" Knuckles offered.

I ignored the large argument that immediately erupted between them...again, and continued talking to Tails, "No really, why would I be jealous of Shadow? He's the faker."

"Technically," Tails disarmed a bee's weapon's defense system and then shot free of it as it exploded, "neither of you are a 'faker.' Shadow was made by scientists in space over 50 years ago through altering DNA and growing him out of a test tube. You…" He suddenly paused and cocked his head, "You were naturally born, right?"

"Yes." I ducked a blast then destroyed another bot.

"-I'm just saying Rouge, a guy might do you good."

"The day I find a 'guy' is the day I turn in my thief's license."

"So you do admit you are a thief?"

Not sure how all of us kept track of these conversations. I mean, I had four going at once and was listening to three others. Tails and I were still arguing about me not being jealous while at the same time the both of us were teasing Knuckles about Sofi. Amy and I were yelling at Rouge for stealing (again) and Shadow kept randomly appearing and exchanging a few words with me (they mostly consisted of 'duck' or 'three o'clock'). Meanwhile, Rouge and Knuckles were arguing about this 'Star Gem' (turns out it can teleport Knuckles places. Who knew?), Amy was still ticked at Knuckles for leaving Sofia on Angel Island by herself, and Shadow was giving everyone orders (see, it's not just me!).

Confused yet? If not, try and keep track of them while destroying a small army of bees that are trying to kill you. Welcome to my life.

Enough of that, time for the 'big boy', as Robotnik likes to put it. Remember coo-coo's last big creation? The giant scorpion-squid hybrid? Well… this one wasn't like that. It looked more like a giant rock golem, but it was made out of thick pieces of metal. Knuckles had his work cut out for him.

He seemed to agree with a low whistle, "I guess we know why Robotnik hasn't attacked in almost two months. He was busy getting all of… that."

"Holy Chaos," Tails mumbled.

All of us were standing on the roof of one of the many mansions staring into the distance at the approaching bot.

Rouge hovered about a foot off the ground, "So… what's the plan, partner?"

"Mm… if Omega was here, we could just send him. He'd provide a proficient distraction."

I looked over at the hedgehog, and eyebrow raised in question, "Where is Omega?"

"Secret mission for the President."

 _Okay… why not?_ "Then what do you propose we do, Faker?"

Most people assumed that I took lead in all mission because I had been fighting the longest, and yes, I do take lead in a lot of situations. But when confronted with this 'new Robotnik' and new style of fighting and execution, the military history genius was definitely the better option. Thus, Shadow was in charge this mission.

"We draw his fire while any available driller works on reaching the core. Miles, what are the power readings off the machine?" Shadow glanced at my little brother, his face as impassive as ever.

Tails tapped something on his electric-pad and frowned, "The power readings are rather erratic. Not sure what's powering it."

"I do," Knuckles growled, "I can feel it."

Shadow nodded, "As do I, Guardian. A Chaos Emerald."

Exasperated, I threw my arms in the air, "Where does Robotnik get those things? I swear, if we just locked them in a vault, this wouldn't happen."

Rouge started to flap a little higher, "Well, I'll just-"

"Not on your life, bat," Knuckles growled, "I'm on the Emerald. You stay with the others."

Shadow nodded in agreement, "We need both Tails and you to draw the air fire. Knuckles, can you handle getting the power core by yourself?"

The echidna cracked his namesakes and nodded.

"Sonic, Amy and I will keep Robotnik distracted directly. Rouge and Miles hang back to make sure we didn't miss any buzz bombers. Knuckles, go around to the back and work from there. Any questions?"

I raised my hand, "Ever thought of being a military general?"

"Shut up, hedgehog."

"Yes, sir!" I saluted, then took off before Shadow could reply. Everyone was close behind and went about their jobs (although Rouge did so rather reluctantly).

Time to fight.

* * *

This was not going according to plan.

Don't blame this on me. I'm not the mastermind behind this disaster. Blame Faker. It was his stupid plan, he's the jerk responsible for this.

Yup. All his fault.

You're not following?

Then allow me to explain.

So it was going great at first. We were bashing bots and dissing 'Botnik and having a real fun time. Total party.

And that's about the time that things started going wrong.

Amy and I cleared a path through the swarm of buzzers for Knuckles and Shadow to get through. Shadow teleported to the other side of the bot, leaving Knux to focus on our side. Rouge swooped down from the sky and lifted Knuckles up to the shoulder of the machine, then flew off once more to cover the aerial attacks.

As I fought alongside Amy, I watched Knuckles drill through the robot with his powerful fists, shredding the metal into bits of shrapnel. Soon he was out of sight, having drilled into the core. I might not have been able to see him, but I could tell that he was tearing the thing apart, and I liked it.

I didn't notice at first that anything was wrong. I heard shouting in the background and and lot of loud crashes, but thought that was just the normal sounds of battle I had long since learned to block out. So when I finally turned around, I was nearly knocked off my feet in shock.

It was happening all over again.

The chest plating of the bot had fallen off at the hinges, revealing an enormous crystalline pit, Knuckles at the bottom. He was punching everything in sight, but the crystal didn't even dent. Shadow was popping in and out of focus all around the perimeter of the cage, appearing to try to be getting inside but in vain. Amy and I exchanged looks, then ditched the buzzers to help Knuckles.

Frantic ideas were running through my head as I rushed to the bot. I caught sight of the core now, which had wires threading through it connected to a blinking ball of red. And the blinking appeared to be picking up speed. _A bomb._ Robotnik was doing it again. Knuckles had drilled himself into a death trap.

Shadow slammed his fist on the shielding. "I can't teleport through! I think it has to do with the Chaos Emerald!"

Amy swung with all her might, but found the same result. Up above, Tails and Rouge were trying to disable the robot from the head, trying to stop it from moving so we could properly hit it. I spin dashed as hard as I could until I could feel my quills burning with pain.

"Ugh! Hang on Knux!" Amy and I exchanged a nod, then attacked together. Nothing happened.

On the inside, Knuckles slammed his whole body against the 'glass' in desperation. Again, not even a crack. A muffled, "Chaos, what is this stuff?" was heard.

"We're going to get you out of there, Knuckles! Hang on!" I promised.

Behind me, Shadow gave me a look that didn't seem to agree with me, but didn't say anything. All three of us slammed into the glass with all our might. Nothing.

The blinking light had picked up speed. Knuckles looked at it and shook his head, he placed his hand on the glass and looked at me, "Sonic, get out of here. It's gonna blow."

"No," I shook my head, "We're not leaving you!"

Shadow didn't agree, "Sonic, if we don't clear this, then the whole city will be damaged in the explosion- or worse. I can teleport the bomb somewhere safe to detonate."

Amy hammered the glass again, "We are NOT just going to give up!"

" _AMY!_ " Knuckles slammed his fist on the glass. "Don't you get it? There's no time!"

I could now hear a loud beeping noise coming from the bomb, moving much faster than I would have liked. Rouge and Tails finally disabled the machine and joined us on the ground. My mind was frantically looking for a solution; I closed my eyes and the sounds around me seemed to just fade.

My concentration focused on the bomb.

Remember when Shadow first showed up in my life and Robotnik tried to kill me by throwing me into space? I escaped by performing my first chaos control with a fake chaos emerald. I had never tried to do anything like that since then because it had never been necessary. Honestly, I had been so shocked that it had worked that I was afraid to try again.

Sure enough, I could feel the chaos emerald in the machine, pulsing lightly. And here's the weird part: I felt as if it was unhappy with the situation. It did not like how it was being used and wanted out of it.

I had no idea what I was doing. My instincts took over. I reached out and touched the glass-like shielding and channeled the feeling. My eyes flew open and I stared at Knuckles. He cocked his head slightly, a little confused.

"All together on three!" I backed up slightly and tensed up. No one moved at first, but then Amy stepped back and steadied her hammer. Tails pulled out the two guns and joined me a little ways back. Rouge flew up and got ready to dive. Shadow shook his head, but stepped back and tensed up. Last of all, Knuckles nodded.

"One!"

I heard shifts and weapons raised.

"Two!"

Muscles tensed up and I crouched down, channeling the strange chaotic energy.

" **Three!"**

The sound of a shower of chaos spears and laser blasts filled the air followed by two grinding spin-dashes, a large hammer slamming as hard as possible with a flurry of kicks and punches. When the smoke cleared, we all panted and stared at the glass.

There was a crack.

The process repeated and the crack grew.

The beeping and flashing was now almost hardly apart and just seemed to be a single sound and light.

Knuckles stared at me and shook his head.

My expression hardened and replied with one word, "Sofia."

We nodded at one another and tried one more time. As we slammed into the glass, I felt something inside of me seem to wake up. A sudden image flashed in my mind. It was very brief and was only a shadowy figure that I couldn't decipher. But the feeling that filled every fiber of my soul screamed danger. A single word echoed in my mind. _"Elder."_ Huh. Weird.

There was the sound of glass shattering and a bright flash of light. I felt my body fall on the ground and a large explosion was followed shortly after.

" _Sonic! Sonic, can you hear me?"_

" _Miles, let go of him!"_

" _Sonic! SONIC!"_

* * *

Beeping. That was the first thing I heard. My eyes pried themselves open to a bright light, squinting shut again almost immediately. Everything hurt.

"Sonic?"

I forced my eyes to open again and found Amy staring intently at me. A huge grin appeared on her face and she threw her arms around me. "Sonic!"

"Ow!" I winced and withdrew slightly, pain shooting to my brain.

"Sorry! I forgot you're hurt." She pulled away and quickly straightened her headband.

I rubbed my head and looked around at the room, recognizing it as the GUN hospital. "How did I get here? What happened?"

Amy frowned, "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Well… we were fighting one of Robotnik's robots and… Knuckles. Oh Chaos, is he-"

"He's fine, Sonic. Relax." Amy smiled, "He went back to the island as soon as he knew you'd be fine. Sofia was probably starting to worry. It had been like, two hours, after all."

I sat up and attempted to get out of bed, but Amy fought me, "Oh no, you need to rest."

"But-"

"No, buts, Sonic Hedgehog. You aren't going to get rowdy again for a while."

"What exactly happened?" I asked.

"Well… after that last 'smash' against the glass ended up completely breaking through. Shadow jumped through and grabbed the bomb, then just... vanished. Then in the distance, there was this huge explosion and Shadow appeared again. Sonic, you just fell unconscious after that."

I shrugged, "Must had been more tired than I thought."

"I guess…" Amy smiled and took my hand. "Please, never do that again. I thought you were dead, at first."

"Eh, I'd never leave without saying goodbye."

"Right." Amy gently punched me in the arm.

I grinned, "What? I wouldn't."

"You'd better not."

I gently kissed her hand, "I won't, Ames."

Amy's face turned bright red, but I saw trying to hide her smile.

Tails suddenly burst into the room and began to give me an earful about scaring the living daylights out of him and if I ever almost died again he'd kill me and oh chaos, is he glad I'm still with the living.

Amy and I exchanged a look.

Vaguely, I wondered how Knuckles was doing with Sofia. It must be going better than Amy and I.

 **Oh Sonic… you have no idea.**

 **There was a reference to a previous story, 'Shattered Thorns'. That was where our coyote friend comes in and where Rin is explained. Highly recommend you check it out.**

 **We also had some foreshadowing in here. Yay! I love foreshadowing!**

 **Review please!**


	24. The Legend of Angel Island

**Thus the overlapping begins! Oh the fun… I'm actually very excited so comments, then straight to the story.**

 **StarlightSparks: No, you're fine. I just got confused because I have a friend who has an OC named Star and her username is something completely different and I was pretty sure she hadn't changed it. So I got very confused. Hi, Lio! Aw, you're both so nice.**

 **ultimateCCC: That...was horrible. I LOVED IT. Puns are fun.**

 **Juancastri11: That's where you were… As for the political situation, I know how you feel… Election day was a day I dreaded. I'm so sorry for your crazy life. Try and find a positive. That always helps me. Thanks! We had fun with the character development and twisting things up. Glad we brightened your day. Hope everything gets better.**

 **Autumn: Glad you enjoyed the chapter. Hope you have a great weekend too!**

 **SonicBoomFan4000: The story is sort of a combination of Archie, Underground, X, and the Games. It's an AU. Sort of an original thing. Tails is 11 because Halo and I wanted him to be older. He's almost 12.**

 **MeowthKitty: Sonamy! Hope you enjoy this one!**

Sofia's POV:

Today started a little strange. First, Knuckles called me and asked if I was available all day. Turned out, that the department store is closed for the day to be repainted so, naturally, I said yes.

So he turned up with his Extreme Gear Board and a blindfold.

You can probably see where this may be going.

After reassuring me he wouldn't drop me, Knuckles placed the blindfold over my eyes, and helped me up on the board. Then he put his arms around my waist and I felt us lift off the ground.

Usually, I'm fine with heights. But I definitely did not expect to be blindfolded for almost a whole half an hour and unable to see how high we were up. I was starting to understand why Knuckles hated heights.

I think Knuckles realized he hadn't planned the whole thing out correctly, and was apologizing profusely in my ear over the wind.

"But on the bright side, we're here."

"Where exactly is 'here'?"

"You'll see…"

I hate surprises. There is a reason. It has to do with the fact that I don't get surprised easily, because of my 'instincts'. If someone is going to throw a pie at me, I know it. If someone is about to jump out from behind a couch waiting to yell 'surprise', I yell it right along with them. But then there are things that are not the sort of thing I can sense, such as physical objects (so no, I don't know what I'm getting for my birthday or Christmas as I'm opening my presents).

And of course physical objects can qualify as locations, such as museums or mountains. Surprises can be pleasant, but most surprises I've had were not something I wished to dwell on.

But I calmed my thoughts and reminded myself that this was Knuckles. Surely his surprise would be nice and normal. Key word _normal._

Knuckles took of the blindfold to reveal a very beautiful, but exotic, forest like jungle. There were plenty of greenery and fruit trees that I identified as star fruit. Overall, a pleasant view.

"Woah…" I smiled at the echidna, "You brought me to a jungle?"

"Uh… sort of. Turn around."

I did as he said. _Really_ regret it now.

Remembered when I said I hoped the surprise would be nice and normal? Well… it was nice, but normal is not how I would describe a view of a large ocean literally five hundred feet below while standing on a chunk of land floating in the air.

My head swam and I stumbled back into Knuckles, who put his hands on my shoulders to steady me. _Oh Chaos…_

"You alright?"

"Am I alright…? Interesting question when we are standing _IN THE AIR!_ " I whirled around and pointed my finger at him in a scolding manner. "WHERE AM I?"

Knuckles looked a little confused, "Did I do something wrong again?"

Okay, I loved this guy, but sometimes he really did not think through everything in great detail. So I attempted to calm my pounding heart and took a deep breath, "Knuckles… I-I'm not sure how to put this… a floating island is _not normal_ , and you can't just shove it on a girl without warning."

"Oh…" he looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry… everyone else who knows about this place sort of found out on accident."

"Everyone else…? How many people know about a _floating island?_ "

"It's called Angel Island, and I've kinda lost track at this point."

I raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Well, in order..." Knuckles' brow furrowed in concentration, "Sonic, Tails, Cream, Vanilla, Amy, Shadow, Rouge-"

"Who the heck is Rouge?"

His expression darkened. "Someone I'd rather not talk about."

Okay then… I changed the subject. "Let's start with the basics like… Oh, I don't know… HOW IN CHAOS ARE WE _FLYING?_ "

Maybe I was a little mad, but hey, you try standing on a giant island that is _flying for no apparent reason_ and tell me you feel fine.

Knuckles took a small step away from me, appearing a little nervous, "Um… let's just start by sitting down and not hitting the guy who doesn't think things through completely."

We sat down, leaning against two trees, facing each other. Knuckles then proceeded to tell me about a giant emerald that held the god Chaos and kept the island floating. He also tried to explain how the chaos energy works, but I asked him to stop because I was getting very confused.

"So, very long story short," I said, "Giant magical gem makes the island fly. Like my life couldn't get any weirder…"

"Sorry about that. But I thought we should get this conversation out of the way." Knuckles shrugged. "But I don't think I thought it all the way through."

I gave him a look that clearly said, 'No, you didn't.'

He apologized again. After a few seconds of silent, he cautiously asked, "Do you want a tour?"

My anger finally dissolved and I smiled, "Why not? It's not every day I'm on a floating island."

Knuckles offered me his hand and helped me to my feet. "Where do you want to start?"

I shrugged. "Where ever you want to start."

Now that I was over the whole, 'don't surprise me with a floating island', I was actually rather excited. All my life I had been interested in ancient artifacts and mythology. Angel Island was a dream come true… well, sort of. It's still a little strange and it would probably take a little while to get over the fact that my boyfriend...er, _Knuckles_ , lived on a magical island, but hey, I have psychic abilities. Things could be stranger.

Then again, maybe not.

Knuckles began to the tour, snapping me out of my thoughts. "This little place we're standing in, overlooking the sea closest to any land around, I like to call Sunrise Outlook."

"Why do you call it that?"

"It faces the way the sun rises."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"The other side of the island I call Sunset Outlook."

"What about the other sides?"

"Um… they don't really have a name. Just the North and South sides of the island." Knuckles smiled, "I'm not very creative when it comes to names."

"That's fine," I replied. "Not every single place in the world needs a poetic name or a foreign language."

Knuckles motioned for me to hop back on his extreme gear. We flew pretty close to the ground, but moved pretty fast. While trees and bushes passed, Knuckles gave me the rundown.

"This is the forest."

"No name?"

"No name. It covers the whole island so it would be sort of pointless. In the forest, there live many different types of animals and vegetation." He pointed at one of the fruit trees, "That's a star fruit tree. They grow pretty much all over the island."

As we flew by another one of the said trees, Knuckles reached up and picked two ripe fruits and handed me one, "They're pretty good, or at least I think so."

I smiled, "It's not meat, so it will do." I didn't tell him I'd had this fruit before, but ate it quietly and quickly. Star fruit is actually one of my favorite fruits, so I really enjoyed the snack break.

Knuckles pointed out a few more types of trees and bushes and explained what he used them for. Vines and certain leaves were for building along with wood from trees, certain berries and other herbs for healing and medicine, sap from certain trees turned into a really good caramel, even the soil could be used for cooking, building, and medicine.

This guy made the Boy Scouts of Mobius look like Mina Mongoose.

The next stop was a cave. Knuckles helped me down from the board and spread out his arm in a showing manner. "Here's the cave."

"Does it have a name?" I teased gently.

"Uh… I was actually thinking about calling it 'Crystal Cave'."

"Why?"

"I'll show you." He took my hand and lead me inside. We only walked for about two minutes when we came to a large cavern filled with sparkling crystals of a rainbow of colors from a vibrant red to a dulled purple.

And it was breathtaking. I examined the walls and crystals with great care, running my fingers along each gem. "Is this Topaz? Oh Chaos, I love Sapphire. Rubies? Quartz, Amethyst, Morganite, Opal, and…? I paused on a green stone, trying to identify it, "Emerald?"

"Yep." Knuckles smiled. "Which one is your favorite?"

"Um…" I looked around for a moment, before my eyes rested on the bright blue Sapphire. "That one." I pointed at the gem. "How did all of these even get here? The idea alone-"

I was cut off by a sudden large crunching noise. Whirling around, I found Knuckles next to a wall, with a large chunk of stone in his hands. Behind him, was a large hole in the wall, that I was positive had not been there before. His back was too mee and I heard more crunching and crumbling noises and a few grunts.

I tried to peer over his shoulder, but Knuckles wouldn't let me see what he was up too. So I settled to waiting in silence while examining the rest of the cave.

It really was very pretty. And rather calming. Five minutes later, Knuckles found me sitting next to a hot springs staring up at the ceiling.

"What are you looking at?" He asked a bit confused.

I snapped out of my thoughts, "Nothing. I'm just thinking."

"Oh. Sorry to interrupt."

"You're fine."

There was an awkward silence the Knuckles cleared his throat looking a bit uncomfortable. "Uh… here. I got you this." He held out his hand to reveal the sapphire from the wall.

I stared at it in shock. "I- How-? Knuckles, you didn't have to do that."

"Eh, we've known each other for a while and I thought I should give you something."

With a small smile, I took the small gem. It wasn't very big, a little smaller than my palm, but I could tell that it would make an excellent stone for an amulet. I looked at my reflection in the deep blue color and couldn't help but feel a small ache in my heart.

Sapphires were one of those gems that made me happy, but sad at the same time. My mother's wedding ring was a sapphire, and I remember playing with it when I got really bored in church and I was sitting next to her. A pleasant, but painful memory.

Not to mention Maurice was blue. A lot like most sapphires. Once again, happy, yet painful memories. I must have sighed out loud because Knuckles asked if I was alright.

"Yeah. Sorry, I must have zoned out again."

"Nah, you're cool. You like it?"

I grinned. "It's beautiful. You're so sweet." I could've sworn I saw him blush.

He held out a hand, "Come on, there's still some spots I want to show you."

We exited the cave and continued onto Reflection Pool (which was probably the most creative name he had so far. But hey, he didn't seem much like the creative type, so I don't judge) which was followed by the Mountain Range (as I said, not very creative names). All were beautiful in their own way. Around noon, Knuckles finally informed me that we were approaching our last stop.

He led me into a thicket of trees by the hand until we reached some sort of shrine or temple. It was huge, the stone structure easily as tall as my four-story apartment building. Something bright and green glittered near the top, but I couldn't tell just what.

"What's up there?" I asked pointing at the structure.

"That," said Knuckles with a smile. "Is the main attraction." He grinned and grabbed hold of my hand, leading the way up the ancient stone staircase until we made it to the top, at which there was a circular plateau surrounded by crumbling stone columns. The glittering green something I had spotted stood before me, an enormous, shimmering emerald as tall as I was- and I'm pretty tall. I instinctively reached out a hand to stroke its surface, but Knuckles stopped me before my fingers could make contact.

"That's probably not a good idea," he said tentatively.

"Why not?"

"It's generally not a very wise decision to go around touching giant magic gems."

My jaw dropped. "You mean…"

"Yes."

"And this thing is…"

"Yes."

"And you…"

"That's right."

If you haven't figured it out by now, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place in my mind. Of course I knew about the Master Emerald. I mean, come on! It's one of the most speculated legends in the archeology (next to the City of Atlantis. I have my own theory about the ancient city that involves a princess mermaid with her lady in waiting and a swarm of plankton. But that's not important right now). And with the Master Emerald comes an echidna guardian, which was also extremely speculated about.

I was dating the Guardian of Chaos.

For no apparent reason, I began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Knuckles, cracking a grin but beginning to sound concerned.

"It's- it's just-" I couldn't stop laughing. For some reason, I just found this so unbelievably funny and I couldn't explain why.

"What?"

"I- I just can't believe it!" I gasped, clutching my sides. Tears were running down my cheeks.

"Sofi, you're not making sense." Knuckles was staring at me as if I were a lunatic.

"I'm… _dating_ the Guardian!" I forced out.

Knuckles just stared at me, "Is that a bad thing?"

"No!" I was leaned over, trying to catch my breath, "It's just- my life is crazy already. I didn't think it could get any more strange." Finally, I straightened up and wiped the tears away. "This is just- I can't explain it."

Knuckles still looked a little confused, but he smiled, "Well, I'm glad you don't think it's too weird."

"Weird? You don't know the meaning of weird."

"Try me."

I froze. Yes, he's the Guardian. But a psychic? How would he react to that?

"Sofi? You okay?"

I looked at him. Knuckles had always treated me like a normal person. He never had made fun of me for my interests, even if he didn't like them. And based on his occupation, I can't be that out of the ordinary… right? Besides, hiding secrets is what caused Manic to run away in the first place. Knuckles was going to find out eventually. Might as well tell him and avoid that awkward conversation.

"Well… um. Knuckles I-" I ran my fingers through my hair, "Oh, how do I start?"

Knuckles opened his mouth to speak, but was suddenly cut off my a loud beeping noise. He glanced down at a yellow watch that I hadn't noticed on his wrist before. He groaned slightly.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing. Continue." He pushed a button and the beeping stopped.

I gathered my thoughts again. "Well-" and then I was cut off again by the same exact beeping noise. "Are you sure that's nothing important?"

"They're fine." He shut off the noise again.

"They?"

"My… friends."

"If they're your friends, then answer the phone."

Knuckles shifted uncomfortably, "No, they know I'm busy. Besides I-"

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. CLICK.

I was starting to get annoyed. "Knuckles, just see what they want."

"I know what they want," He growled slightly. "And it's nothing that they can't handle. The job's not that-"

"Hold it. A job?" I raised an eyebrow.

Knuckles shrugged, "It's not officially _my_ job, but sometimes they need my help."

"Do they pay you?"

"Uh… sort of?"

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

My eyes narrowed slightly, "Knuckles, answer the phone."

"Sofi, it's really not-"

"Oh for Chaos sake, Knuckles, if they're paying you for a job, then you need to answer!"

I think my expression convinced him not to argue. He finally pressed the 'answer' button and asked, "Yes?"

" _Yo! Knucklehead!"_ The voice was loud and chipper, with a slight hint of annoyance, _"Why'd ya keep hanging up?"_

"I'm busy, Sonic. Make it quick."

" _Busy? Wait, are you with Sofia?"_

Knuckles glanced over at me and answered a little hesitantly, "Maybe."

" _Hi, Sofia!"_

I couldn't help but smile, "Hello, Sonic."

" _Sorry to interrupt, but I need to borrow your boyfriend. Do you mind?"_

Knuckles growled something under his breath that sounded a lot like, "I'm going to kill that hedgehog…"

Chuckling slightly, I played along, "Sure, just make sure he's back by five."

" _Five? Why?"_

I winked at Knuckles, "Because I was planning on dinner tonight."

The echidna turned bright red (which I didn't know was possible). "Uh… I'm going to take this over there. Hold on a second." His attention turned back to the wristwatch, teeth gritted. "Sonic, this had better be important." He walked down the steps to the foot of the ancient runes out of earshot.

I was turning back to the ancient ruins to study the carvings when a sudden, "SHUT UP SONIC!" made me glance back at the echidna for a brief moment. Chaos, what is going on? I decided that I'd find out eventually and went back to the ruins.

Mm… I traced the symbols gently with my fingertips, recalling as much as I could from my online ancient runes class. That's how Knuckles found me about five minutes later looking a little flustered.

"Um… Hi again."

I smiled, "What language is this? I can understand most of these, but some I've never seen before." I gestured to the runes on the pillars.

Knuckles eyes grew wide, "Wait- You can read ancient runes?"

"I took a class."

"Really? When did you- Oh wait. Um… Okay, how do I word this?" the echidna rubbed the back of his neck. I noticed he did that a lot when he was nervous.

"Knuckles, what is it?"

"Well… something's come up at…work and I'm needed for about an hour, maybe two." He shifted slightly, "Normally they wouldn't need me, but apparently they need my… skills."

I thought this sounded normal and encouraged Knuckles. But he still didn't sound convinced, "I can't take you with me, and I don't want to just leave you stranded here."

I hesitated then replied, "Knuckles, I'll be fine. It's only an hour, right?"

"Yes, but what if-"

"No one knows about this place, right?"

"Well, no. Some people know about it?"

"Anyone dangerous?"

"Yes."

"Any chance of them attacking while you're gone?"

"...Yes."

"Knuckles, I can take care of myself."

"You don't know this guy."

"But I know how to hide." I took Knuckles hands and made eye contact. "I'll be fine. I'll stay right here and draw. If there's trouble, I'll call you immediately. Okay?"

The echidna hesitated, "Are you sure?"

"Yes." I pushed him down the steps. "Now, go."

"But what if-"

I rolled my eyes and kissed him quickly, "Go!"

"Alright, alright!" he started down the steps and stopped half-way down, "Don't touch the Emerald!"

"I know! Now get going!"

The echidna sprinted off and disappeared out of sight.

With a small sigh, I pulled out my sketch pad and began to doodle. My mind was swarmed with new costume themes from Angel Island and I couldn't wait to get them down.

Well, this day wasn't going as planned, but it certainly was exciting. Things couldn't get any weirder… right?

 **Sonia and Knuckles… you have got to love them.**

 **On a completely different side note, the other day I was pondering my life (like I do) and remembered that Halo makes the comment a lot that she's a lot like Manic. So I thought about it and decided that I'm a lot like Sonia. Then I thought of another friend (whom I will just refer to as Tintin) who is a lot like Sonic.**

 **My friends and I are the Hedgehog Triplets.**

 **Mind blown.**

 **Now you know who Halo and I have been subconsciously using as Sonic, Sonia, and Manic.**

 **Review, please!**


	25. Knowledge on Kidnapping

**Alright! Comments on reviews!**

 **StarlightSparks: *wink back* You are probably right… then again, I don't know what you think so I can't say. (; I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Hope you enjoy this one.**

 **Autumn: Yay! Knuckles! I do enjoy Knuckles. Halo and I enjoyed Thanksgiving and wish you a Happy Holidays!**

 **MeowthKitty: Oh it will be interesting… Just not the way you think.**

 **ultimateCCC: I have to semi-agree with that. Depends on what it is and the reason I'm not supposed to touch it.**

 **gwencarson125: I'm glad you liked it. Knuckles has some funny moments, doesn't he?**

 **This is my birthday present to you! Or to myself. Whatever. We're headed back in Manic's direction, so without further ado, let's get started!**

 **Matthew's PO-**

 ***SHATTERING***

 **Era and Halo back away from the now broken computer screen and stare at the perpetrator. Rouge glares.**

" _Oh, no. Step away, ladies, I'm in charge this time around."_

" **Was that really necessary? You could have just asked us to step away but then you had to go and smash the computer! Why I oughta-"**

" _Don't even think about it."_

"… **Rouge, you're up. (HALO DO SOMETHING.)"**

" _ **Hey, I'm just as scared of her as you are. Besides, this looks like it'll be interesting. Go, Rouge!"**_

" **Of course you think that… take it away, Miss Secret Agent."**

Rouge's POV:

I was not amused.

There were so many other ways I could be spending my afternoon. Like finding a better hiding spot for the new addition to my collection. Blue was getting suspicious.

But at the moment, Blue was not going to question me. Awfully hard to accuse one of grand jewel theft when one is unconscious. Lucky for me, I suppose; not so much for Blue.

Tails was shaking his currently unconscious brother and growing increasingly worried, "Sonic! Sonic, can you hear me?"

"Miles, let go of him!" Shadow tried to pull the fox away so Amy could get a better look at him, but found it rather difficult. I'll admit it would be a bit of a challenge to yank a two-tailed kid off a limp body, especially when said tails are doing everything in their power to make your life miserable. It would've been adorable if the situation hadn't been so dire.

"Shadow, not now!" shouted Tails, whipping his twin appendages in Shadow's face. "Sonic! SONIC!"

Amy finally pried the boy away and checked for injuries, "He's fine. Just exhausted."

Of course he's exhausted- we just had to shatter a giant diamond (I know my jewels. That glass was encrusted with diamond and no one will convince me otherwise), one of the hardest substances in the world all to save grumpy old Red.

Speaking of the echidna… I wandered over to where he was standing, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. His gaze was locked on the now obliterated machine that almost claimed his life. He was cute when he's mad.

"Pondering the meaning of life?" I asked, sidling up next to him. He didn't even look at me. Hmmph.

"Hello? Red? Mister Guardian Angel? Anyone home?"

That got his attention. "What, Rouge?" he said sharply. "What do you want?"

"Just checking to see if you're alright. An experience like that is enough to shut a person down."

Knuckles rolled his eyes, "What is it you really want, Rouge?"

"What? I can't check on an old friend?"

He looked at me suspiciously, " _Are_ we friends?"

I shrugged, "Are we not?

"I don't know. You try and steal from me _all the time._ "

"Take it as a compliment," I put my hands on my hips and tilted my head, "I'm testing your security."

"Uh…" Knuckles blinked, "You've failed. Every time."

I pushed down my annoyance and forced a smile, "Hey, I'm testing. Not actually trying."

"Keep telling yourself that, Bat."

We exchanged a mutual smile, then sat in silence for a moment. I examined my long, gloved fingernails with limited interest.

"So about that Star Gem-"

Knuckles threw his arms in the air, "I knew it!"

"Aw, red, don't be like that-"

"I'm done! That's it!" He marched away from the wreckage. I frowned and flew after him.

"Oh Red, calm down. I just want to see it!"

"No."

"Please?"

"No!"

"Just for a second?"

"NO!"

"Why not?"

"You might steal it! Or break it!"

"I'm offended, Knuckles. Besides, you've broken the Master Emerald so many times that I've lost track."

"I was _protecting_ it!"

Knuckles by now had stopped and was glaring at me with a look that would frighten most people. I'm not most people.

"Call it what you will, at least I don't break my gems."

"Do you care about anything other than your precious gems?"

"Uh, _yes._ "

"Like what?"

I fluttered to the ground and began to count on my fingers, "Well, let's see, Shadow, Omega-"

"Outside of Team Dark."

That was harder. "You-"

"I don't count."

"Why not, Red?" I smirked. "Embarrassed?"

"No," Knuckles crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, "Because I'm related to gems. As is the rest of Team Sonic and your team. I know you don't like the General-"

Well, that was certainly true.

"-and I don't know anything about your family, nor do I want to."

Let's just bring up that taboo subject, shall we? I hid my frustration with one of my winning smiles, "So maybe I'm a look-after-myself kind of girl. What's your point?"

Knuckles pointed at me, "Because one day, no matter how many times you've helped the world in your own twisted little way, you're going to be alone in the end. No one will care if you're in prison or on the run from the law. If you don't care about anyone, then no one will care about _you_." Then he turned away without another word and marched after Amy and Tails who were carrying a limp Blue.

I stood in the same spot, stunned and unable to move.

Not sure how long I stayed there, but eventually, I shook myself out of the mood. What did he know, anyway? I didn't care about people, nor did I mind them not caring about me. People were the necessary evils of the world. Who could blame me for using them to my full advantage?

Instinctively, I turned to find Shadow and complain about Knuckles' bad attitude. "Ugh, can you believe-" My voice died off. Where did big, bad, and brooding go? Apparently, he had left with the others. Thanks, partner.

And on top of everything else it was starting to rain. I shivered and began my flight home.

* * *

My keys jingled as I unlocked the door and entered my darkened penthouse. Home sweet home. My trench coat, which would have been useful about thirty minutes ago, hung on the coat hanger. went into my room to find something dry to wear. Skin-tight wet leather is not a pleasant feeling on your skin, FYI.

After changing into a soft cable-knit sweater, I warmed up some hot chocolate and crashed on the couch. Nothing good was on TV- sitcoms bore me to death and the UFC fights wouldn't be on till late- so I popped in a random movie Amy once lent me and only gave it half my attention.

It actually was kind of lonely. Everyone has a secretive side to them, but believe it or not, I enjoyed being around people, and sitting alone watching a movie on a weekend was not my idea of fun.

I was bored. And when I'm bored, I go out and do things.

I switched off the TV and headed into the guest room. In the year since I've owned this place, no one has ever occupied it. The bed and furniture are still there, but mostly because I don't have any other use for them. The room was originally intended for someone like Shadow or Red to use if they ever needed a place to spend the night, but Shady crashes…somewhere and Red prefers to hang around with Tails and Blue. Shame.

Whatever. I've created other uses for this space.

I unlocked the doors to the walk-in closet, opening to a small chest of drawers with an enormous map pinned over it. I pulled open the left middle drawer of the dresser, fishing out a small silver pen. Flipping out the hidden light on the side of the pen, I flicked it on and shined it on the map.

Invisible ink pens may seem childish or cliché to simple minds, but I've found them to be quite useful. Take this map for instance: Under UV light, you'll see my marks in Station Square. Helzberg, Zale Corp, Stephanie & Co… the list goes on. I've hit every one at least twice now, along with a few museums and art exhibits here and there. Day in the life of me.

I drew a small 'X' next to the Stephanie building and smiled, remembering that job from the week before. Matthews may be weird and immature and positively _aggravating_ , but I had to admit he was good at what he did. Made sure I could get to my jewel, anyway.

Speaking of which…

On the left wall next to the guest bed was a watercolor painting of a dark pink camellia in an ornate bronze frame. I liked the painting, but personally, I preferred what was behind it.

In the curves of the frame were a few choice knobs disguised in the workmanship. I pressed two at the bottom and one to the left, and the painting swung open to reveal a heavily locked steel safe. One can never be too careful with one's valuables.

I dialed in the code, unlocking the heavy door. On a short pedestal was my brand new sapphire. A jolt of exhilarating electricity shot down my spine; I shivered. What a delicious feeling.

Which was quickly spoiled by a far less satisfying feeling.

This gem wasn't acquired purely by my own efforts. I remember how furious I was when I found out Stephanie's was raising the bar on security, and knowing exactly how much trouble I'd be in with GUN if I raised any alarms- not to mention breaking my streak of three years since I'd been caught with my hand in the cookie jar- I made the admittedly wiser choice of enlisting help. Help that wouldn't rat me out or attempt to guilt-trip me (it really is cute when they try that sweet little tactic. So quaint how they're under the impression that I actually value other people's "moral codes". Silly, to say the least).

You might say the local gangs were terrified of little ol' me- but that's such a nasty word. I wasn't _feared_. I was simply _respected_ , and for good reason. The boys knew that it wouldn't be a wise decision in the long-term to squeal on me- I had made quite sure of that. But petty crime bored me, and besides, those adorable little mafia wannabes just couldn't hack it in the _real_ criminal underworld. They were too hung up on short-term satisfactions, like cashing in on the local heroin addicts. Not enough brains or ambition among them to really make it big. But at least they were predictable; Manipulating those little sweethearts was child's play.

Of course, there's always the exception to the rule. When Matthews tried to rob me that first time, it was so satisfying to send him running. Life's simple joys, after all. But then he had to go and break the mold by _seeking me out_ and _attempting to rob me again._ I still can't figure out his logic (and I'm using that in the _loosest_ sense of the word, believe me).

But he intrigued me. I'll give him that much.

So lying my way into an interview with him was worth going through the other nitwits in his gang. True, he acted like a complete buffoon, and had the gall to ask me out, but he was just so _different._ I mean, he was shooting grape soda out of his nose when I walked into his headquarters, and he smells like a sewer. What a weirdo. And to top it all off, he doesn't even steal things worth stealing! Why on Mobius would he take the time to rob everyone and their dog, but doesn't even try to swipe the bare necessities (such as _jewels,_ for example)?

Well, if there is a silver lining, it's that I'll never have to see that irritating little punk again. He was annoying and childish and _odd,_ and didn't even have the dignity to bother hiding his blatantly obvious crush. It was pathetic, really.

I placed the gemstone back on its pedestal, relocked the safe, and shut the picture frame. That was the end of that.

… So why couldn't I take my mind off him?

I groaned aloud. It was just like Matthews to linger with me when I wished he would go away. Our little "escapade" should've been the end of our business dealings; I had no more use for him. He helped me get my gem and we didn't get caught. There shouldn't have been any reason why I was feeling…

 _That's it._

I couldn't remember the last time I had felt… ugh… _guilty._ But that was the only reasonable explanation. I felt guilty because I hadn't paid him for working with me. So the answer to my problem was simple: find Matthews and give him his share. The sooner, the better.

I pulled on my trench coat and grabbed an umbrella. Good riddance, Matthews Hedgehog.

* * *

I stood in front of the shabby Lucky Strike pawn shop, my umbrella shielding me from the pouring rain. At four in the afternoon, the sky was so darkened by clouds it felt like at least six. I pushed open the door and the familiar tinkling of a welcome bell greeted me… but no cashier. The whole store was empty. Hmm. Odd.

As I paused to comb through the jewelry section, my ears picked up the faint sounds of a quarrel near the back. I crept up quietly to the door of the backroom, pressing my ear against the door.

"...any leads, Curt! We have no clue where he could be!"

"That don't mean we shouldn't at least _try_ to find him! Come on, guys, back me up here!"

My curiosity was piqued. I listened closer.

"He disappeared, Curtis! Whaddaya want us to do, huh? What?"

"Oh, well, I dunno, maybe _look for him?_ "

"Dude, we got no idea where to look!"

"Here's an idea- how about we _find out_ where to look!"

Enough of this. I knocked loudly on the door and crossed my arms. The arguing stopped for a moment right before the door swung open, answered by a tall auburn fox wearing a backwards baseball cap and an infuriated expression. His growl melted off his face when he saw me, morphing into one of shock and horror.

"Y-you!" he sputtered.

I smirked. It was hilarious how frightening I was to these boys.

"What… what are you doing here?" he said shakily.

"Just come to pay a visit to my good friend Maniac," I said coolly, leaning against the doorway.

The fox stiffened. "Um… you want to… _what?_ "

"I'll say it again, slowly. I… have… come… to… see… _Maniac._ " Without waiting for an invitation, I pushed past him and into the back room.

It was just as tacky as I remembered it from my interviews. A beat up old television set sat in the corner with an old, nasty couch in front of it, an equally disgusting armchair off to the side. They looked, what, twelve years old? You'd think they could spring for something with a bit more taste.

The room was packed, at least four or five guys crowded on the couch. They all wore the same expression of shock and mild horror that I loved so very, very much.

A large insect-like man whom I remembered to be called Ferrell stepped forward, clearing his throat. He looked me in the eye, and unlike his subordinates, he actually seemed to stay collected in my presence. How refreshing.

"Madam, with all due respect, you did not inform us of your arrival," he said, his heavy urban accent calm but firm.

"What, can't I just drop in for a visit?" I said, smirking.

"On any other day, I personally wouldn't have any problem, but at the moment we have a situation on our hands and unless this is urgent, it would be better if you could make your exit."

Oh, no. I was paying back Matthews, whether this guy likes it or not. "I understand completely, Mr. Ferrell, but this really is urgent. I insist that I see Maniac immediately."

I had never seen a man pale so quickly. You could hear a pin drop.

"...What?" I asked. Sheesh, what was with these bozos?

"Um…" said a blonde coyote, scratching the back of his head sheepishly and trailing off, staring at the ground. The auburn fox I had met at the door crossed his arms and glared at nothing in particular, but I noticed a strange sort of hurt in his eyes. Odd.

"Okay, does anybody wanna tell me what's going on here?" I said, turning to Ferrell, the smirk wiped clean off my face. Nobody answered. In the corner of my eye I noticed the same blonde coyote inching away ever so subtly towards the back window, left slightly ajar.

"You try and sneak out, boy, and I will hunt you down and make the last moments of your life more miserable than your tiny brain could possibly imagine," I snarled. The coyote stopped dead in his tracks.

" _Nobody_ is leaving until somebody tells me what exactly is going on." I said firmly, glowering fiercely. I looked around at the squirming inhabitants of the living room.

And I noticed something.

"Wait a minute…" I said, narrowing my eyes. "Where _is_ Maniac?"

Silence.

I groaned. "Fine then… eeny, meeny, miny… _you._ " I said, jabbing my finger accusingly at the auburn fox. " _Where is he?_ "

"That's the problem, we don't know!" he burst out. "He's… just… _gone!_ "

"Whaddaya mean, 'gone'?"

"He's gone! Poof! Disappeared into thin air! We don't know where in Mobius he is, or how to find him!" he shouted, pacing back and forth. "We don't even know if he's alive! For all the leads we have, he could be at the bottom of the river with his head bashed in!" He was frantic. I could hardly understand him through his rapid accent and slurred sentences

"So… he just… left?" I asked. "He ran away?"

" _No!_ " shouted the fox. "That's just it! Matthews wouldn't do that! He left his backpack, which he just wouldn't do under _any_ circumstances-"

"Woah, woah, woah, _stop._ " I said. "Start over! What in the world are you going on about?"

He took a few deep breaths and sat down at an empty spot on the couch. "Okay… so we was on a job, 'kay? Just a little burglary, nothin' to it-"

" _Curtis!_ " hissed the lynx on his right.

" _What?_ This chick might be the only hope we got of ever finding him, Gabe-"

"She works for the feds! You spill the beans now and we're dead men walking-"

"Curtis," said Ferrell, cutting off Gabe. "Continue." Gabe shot him a look of bewilderment and was rewarded with a stern glance from Ferrell. He fell silent, but I could hear him muttering mutinously under his breath.

Curtis took another deep breath before picking up where he was interrupted. "So we was at the mark, 'kay? Matthews went in first to check if the coast was clear for the rest of us. He was supposed to just make a quick check and then let us in. We waited for a long time, but… he never came out. Eventually, we just went in ourselves. Matthews wasn't there… but… in one of the rooms we found this," He held up a ratty gray knapsack that, while sturdy, looked at least four or five years old. I recognized it as the one Matthews had brought on our _Stephanie's_ mission.

"Was the room disturbed at all?" I asked.

Curtis shook his head. "The room we found this in didn't look like it had been touched."

"Dude, he probably just got scared and flaked out." said Gabe, crossing his arms.

"Gabe, you and I both know that Matthews isn't like that. Besides, even if he did run out on us for whatever reason, he definitely wouldn't leave his backpack. Literally everything he owns is either at my place or in here."

"Doesn't Maniac have an apartment or something?" I interjected. Gabe and the blonde coyote snorted, trying to hide their laughter, but everyone else just stared at me.

"Dude, Maniac's homeless. Like, _really_ homeless." said a rabbit with a half-torn ear. "He sleeps in the sewers half the time and at Curtis's place and the shop for the other half."

"Aw, that's not true," said the coyote. "He crashes in the clink every other week, 'member?" This earned a knowing chuckle from just about everyone.

Well, that explains why he always smells like a sewer. I had to suppress a giggle myself; the thought of Matthews living in the drains was was just so hilariously fitting. But I pulled myself together.

"What do you suppose happened to him if you're sure he didn't run away of his own accord?" I asked Curtis.

"Well…" Curtis looked up to Farrell for approval; he nodded solemnly. "We… well, _I_ … think he's been kidnapped."

I perked up. _Now_ I was interested. "By who?"

"We don't know-"

"Is there anything you _do_ know?" I said irritably.

"... But we have some suspicions," finished Curtis.

"Do tell."

"Well… the thing is, Maniac's a great buddy and all, but… he's got a tendency to tick off all the wrong people. I swear to Chaos, that kid's like a trouble magnet. Gets jumped twice as much as the rest of us, and arrested even more." said Curtis. "Anyone mighta tried to nab him to give him what's coming to him, but we don't know who. And if we start goin' around accusing' people of kidnapping him, we'll have a whole other world of problems on our hands."

"Has he annoyed anyone recently?"

"Probably."

"Anyone _important?_ "

"Um…" he said uncomfortably. "Well… see, it's like this… um… We kinda, er… We kinda thought it might, um, be… mmmfffo." He mumbled the last bit, speaking so softly that I couldn't understand him.

"Come again, hon?" I asked.

"We thought it was... um… mmsfljjdf…"

"Cat got your tongue? Spit it out already!"

"FORALITTLEWHILEWETHOUGHTITWASYOUWHOKIDNAPPEDMANIACBUTYOU'REHERELOOKINGFORHIMSOITCAN'TBEYOUSORRYSORRYSORRY."

He spoke so quickly that I almost missed it, but luckily I didn't. "You thought _I_ had taken him?" I asked incredulously.

Curtis was cringing under the weight of mine and everyone else's dirty looks, but he nodded jerkily.

"Why on earth would I kidnap that punk? He's annoying, stubborn, idiotic, and not worth my time." I continued to glare at Curtis who was now sweating slightly.

He pulled at his collar, nervously. "Well, you aren't the only girl who's a threat to Maniac."

"What do you mean by that?" I raised an eyebrow and asked suspiciously. How many girls did he tick off?

Wait. Forget I asked.

"Well…like three months ago, a pink hedgehog showed up at our old hangout in Westopolis asking for Maniac. Our operative there just barely got around to bringing it to our attention last night. By that time, we had no time to warn him."

"What did she want with him?"

"Apparently, he owes her money. A lot of it. We call her Dodger."

What was it with these gangsters and the nicknames? "Why?"

"... According to him, and his mercenary guards, she _dodged bullets._ Didn't even graze her. She just dodged and stole their guns, and… tried to kill them." Curtis and his fellow Strikers looked pretty scared at the thought.

I just shook my head. Dodge bullets? Who were these boys kidding? Unless this gal was related to one of the two speedy hedgehogs I knew, they were exaggerating.

"Would it have been likely that Dodger could have kidnapped him?" I asked.

Curtis shook his head. "Nobody knew about the heist 'cept the guys in our gang and this one guy who helped us out, Keith."

 _Now_ we were getting somewhere. "Tell me about him."

"Uh… he's not technically a Striker, just a buddy of Rick's who's been in the business a long time. He set up the job for us and-"

I held up my hand to stop him. "Have you known him very long?"

"Uh… not really."

"Do you know if he came be trusted completely?"

"Well, like I said, we haven't known him very lo-"

"Do you know where he is at the moment?"

"Um… no."

"Then what makes you think he couldn't have been involved in the kidnapping?"

Curtis opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He closed it, then opened it again. Shampoo, rinse, repeat.

"Oh, crap." he said, slapping his forehead.

"'Oh crap', indeed." I said, crossing my arms and smirking. "Now that we have at least _one_ plausible suspect, I need to know everything you've got on him and anyone related to him. Spill."

"Er… the thing is, everything we know about him is coming from Rick, who… I don't think is here, actually. Has anybody seen Rick hanging around anywhere?" Everyone shook their heads.

"Ain't seen him since the job," said the blonde coyote.

"Me neither." said Gabe.

"Well, it don't matter much anyway." said Curtis. "But Rick's got all the info on him, so we can't tell you much. Sorry."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, ain't you the helpful one. If you can't tell me anything about this goon, give me something- _anything-_ else! Who else hates Maniac enough to try nabbing him? I'm _sure_ there are others."

"You want chronological or alphabetical order?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Well, let's see, who has Maniac ticked off… there's his old girlfriends, Nic the Weasel, Nack the Weasel, just about the entire police station, all the people he's ever conned or robbed or both, The Meerkats-"

"The who?"

"Rival gang. Demon spawn, all of 'em." said Curtis.

That sounded promising. "I assume all your information on them does not rely solely on one person this time?"

"You kidding? Everyone here's got a beef with those…" From that followed a long string of disturbingly creative curse words and outrageously offensive insults, all affirmed by the group's knowing chuckles.

"They're that bad?" I asked.

"Nope. Worse."

I thought for a moment then asked one more question, "Do they have the capability to pluck Maniac out of thin air and disappear without a trace?"

Curtis didn't even hesitate, "Oh, yeah."

Looks like we found our kidnappers. "Then it's settled. Where's their hideout?"

"We don't know."

"Oh, for the love of-" I just barely stopped myself from saying something extremely unladylike. "Is there anything you _do_ know? It's like you're completely clueless, for pity's sake!"

Curtis put his hands up a little defensively, "Hey, we've tried findin' their hideout plenty of times, but they're sneaky. Even sneakier then us."

You put a sign that says 'Strike' in Striker territory. Are these idiots serious?

"But you know where their territory is."

"Most of it, yeah. We just don't know exactly where they have their headquarters 'cuz they move around a lot, so Maniac could literally be anywhere. By the time we figure out where they're keeping him, they'll probably have moved again. Or killed him. Whatever comes first."

With that happy thought out in the open, I decided this was all I was going to get out of these numbskulls. "Well boys, you can have fun speculating. Now if you'll excuse, I have work to do. Which way is Meerkat territory?"

"Woah, woah, woah, back up-" said Curtis. "You're… you're going after them?"

"Well, of course. I owe Maniac a favor, anyway." I said. "Besides, those adorable little mobster wannabes don't stand a chance. Buh-bye!"

I exited and shut the door and was about to leave, but my curiosity at their reactions was too great to ignore. I pressed my ear against the door; at first there was only silence.

"So… should we like, go after her, or just wait to see it on the news?"

" _News._ "

I smiled. These boys never failed to amuse me.

 _ **That was AWESOME!**_

" **You say awesome, I say interesting."**

 **Rouge crosses arms and glares,** _"Sorry, Oceanera. I'm coming back next time Maniac is up."_

" **... We'll see you then. Halo, what did we just sign up for?"**

 **And yes. The horrible hints and foreshadowing is so funny it is painful. Leave a review please!**


	26. Trick Flying

**Sonic and Tails brother relationship is back up! Yes!**

 **Comments on reviews:**

 **Autumn: Don't worry about it. We're all busy (though not with Pokemon. But then again, I don't have any of those games. Need to get one. Tails and Sonic's siblings… we'll just have to see, won't we?**

 **yodda123: True, but he's gotten better. Also, he knows this from experience. But yeah, maybe not the best characterization.**

 **StarlightSparks: *blushes* Thank you very much! Halo did a great job, didn't she? *scans email* Nope. No spam!**

 **MeowthKitty: You have no idea.**

 **Let's go fly a bi-plane!**

 **What? I'm running out of starters…**

Sonic's POV:

After Tails calmed down enough to speak normally, Amy waved goodbye and left to tell Cream about the mission in her own little way (emphasizing the funny parts and downplaying the terrifying parts).

It took about five minutes to convince the doctors I was fine and was finally released from their 'custody'.

By the time I was released, Rouge had vanished to who knew where, Shadow was probably at the shooting range, Knuckles was back on his island, and (as previously mentioned) Amy had headed home. That left Tails, who was currently fixing up his bi-plane from the fight. With nothing better to do, I joined him.

"Could you pass me that wrench?"

I obliged then leaned against the plane again, "So… how's life?"

"Eh… Can't complain. Do you see my wire cutters?"

"Are they the pliers that are sharp?"

Silence for a moment. "...Yeesss…."

"Are they red?"

"Yes."

"Squishy handles?"

"Yes."

"No, I don't see them."

Tails let out an annoyed growl, "Then why- You know what? Never mind." He pushed himself out from under the plane and wandered over to the tool bench, cleaning his wrench with a grease rag. After looking around a few seconds, the fox found the tool he was looking for. "So… You busy today?"

"Well," I scratched my head and tried to recall my schedule, "I should probably head back and finish my therapy session with the General, but… Nope. I'm clear."

"Great! When I'm done we can go on a flight. Haven't done that in a while."

That was certainly true. Ten minutes later, the two of us were in/on The Tornado and heading out the hanger door, just as an annoyed General entered the building. Didn't really matter, it was too late to catch me anyway.

* * *

ails immediately started with the worst subject, "So… how's Amy?"

I stared at him for a second then looked across the sky, "Lovely weather we're having! Although it's kind of chilly up here… I should have brought a jacket. You cold?"

"No, I have fur."

"I have fur!"

"Yes, but it's not fluffy." Tails swished his big tails around to make a point. "But about Amy. How is she?"

He's not going to let this go is he?

"Cuz I saw you kiss her," Tails said smugly.

"WHAT?" I almost fell of the plane in shock. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT I DIDN'T KISS HER YOU'RE IMAGINING THI-"

"Her hand, Romeo."

"...Oh... right."

Tails tilted the plane to the right and started to gain more altitude, "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. I just thought you might want to let your brother know if you have a girlfriend."

Great… Now we have awkward situation times two. "Bro, if I had a girlfriend, you'd be the first to know. Promise."

"First to know, right after said girlfriend."

"... Right. Yes."

The bi-plane suddenly rolled and I yelped while scrambling for a handhold on the wing. When it steadied out again, Tails was looking at me with this annoyed expression. "You know, you wouldn't have to do that if you got in the cockpit."

I grinned, "But then it wouldn't be fun!"

Tails rolled his eyes. "Fine, but if you go falling to your death, don't come haunting me from the grave."

Thank you, Mr. Sunshine. I changed the subject, "Did you think it was strange that Robot-!" I grabbed the wing again as we did a loop, "-nik didn't show up at Mystic Ruins! Please don't loop when I'm talking!"

Tails ignored the last comment, "It was kind of strange that he didn't make an appearance. Not even a video message."

"What do you think?"

"Well," Tails dove down then pulled back up almost flinging me off the wing. Was he trying to kill me? "I think he's planning something. The last two large attacks, he hasn't stuck around or even showed up. We know he was watching though."

"What kind of PLAN?" I practically had to dive for the tail as Tails did another spin. "WOULD YOU STOP THAT?"

"I have to practice," was his unconcerned reply. "As for the plan… whatever it is, it can't be good."

"I really hope we don't have to go against that glass again. That was a pain."

Silence fell again.

Tails started the conversation this time, "I've been working on a new project in the workshop."

I perked up at this. No matter how many times he came up with a new invention, I still got excited. Come on, an almost twelve year old is building some of the most advanced technology on the planet is one of the most interesting things to hear about. "What we got this time? New fuel for the world? New weapons? A spaceship?"

"A spaceship?" Tails raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Never mind. I've been working on the blueprints for an android-"

"Hold it!" I held up a time out sign then dove for handhold as Tails jerked to the right in surprise. "You're building robots?"

"...Yes."

 _"WHAT?"_

Before anyone get's too confused on why I was freaking out, let me flash back to the first time I ever had to save Tails from Robotnik. Without going into the painful details, he was electrocuted half to death, starved, and forced to build a giant killer robot. After that incident, my brother swore off building anything that had legs, arms, a head, and could move on its own.

I stared at Tails, "You're not turning into the next Robotnik, are you?"

"What?" Tails purposely spun the plane twice to make me lose my footing slightly. "No! Sonic, why would you even suggest that?"

"Then… androids? For what purpose?"

"First of all, it's a _droid_. Singular. Second of all, it's just a lab helper."

"What kind of helper?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just something to bring me tools and help around in the shop."

"So, like, a robot person or something?"

Tails smiled, "Um… I was actually thinking… a dog?"

We stared at one another for a moment before I finally answered. "A dog."

"Yes."

"Why a dog?"

"Why not?"

"... Good point."

My gaze and thoughts drifted to the horizon. The sun was starting to set, painting the sky in a red, pink, and yellow. "We should start heading back. It's getting dark. Besides," I grinned, "Amy's cooking tonight."

Tails rolled his eyes, "Yes, because we all know how much you look forward to your hourly visits with your girlfriend."

"SWEET CHAOS, TAILS, SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"

"Keep telling yourself that…"

 **Short chapter, but I think it's pretty funny. Short, simple, sweet, and straight to the point.**

 **Review!**


	27. Tikal and Chaos

**I love this chapter. Why? Because we are literally only chapters away to a reunion. Which reunion? Well, that's spoilers. Shh…**

 **Reviews!**

 **StarlightSparks: ...I don't know what spoiler we're talking about. But glad you enjoyed it. Sonic grabbing for his life was my favorite part as well. That… was amazing. PUNS. I'm terrible at puns.**

 **ultimateCCC: If you think he's bad here, you should see him in Miles from Home… unless you've already read that.**

 **gwencarson126: I love Sonic and Tails brother moments. It's adorable… Thanks!**

 **KyubiMaster9: If it's not a word, it should be. Spazzy.**

 **That Speedhunter: I'm sorry that it's a little hard to keep track of. Two story lines will be melding soon so it will get easier. Then it turns into one storyline. If it get's too confusing, my suggestion is to go back and read by POV's. Not chapter. So, all of Sonic's, then Sonia's, then Manic's. … I don't know what Need For Speed is. Sorry.**

 **Autumn: Yay! Tails!**

 **juancastri11: I'm glad you're enjoying the 'updated' characters. Are Manic and Sonia now tolerable? Halo and I have been working hard on character development (it's really fun!).**

 **Alright, now let's head back to poor Sonia who's been stuck on Angel Island for past two chapters**

* * *

Sofia's POV:

Three full outfits were all sketched out and I was working on the fourth when I finally glanced at my watch. It had been over an hour since Knuckles had left the island. To be completely honest, I didn't really care that he had been pulled away. I mean, come on- it's his job! Whatever it is… A Guardian has to make a living, right? Besides, it was nice to catch up on my fashion designs. I couldn't recall the last time I had been able to draw this much in total silence.

I was well prepared to draw until five before becoming worried about Knuckles returning very, very late. Turned out I didn't have to wait that long for an echidna to show up. It just wasn't the one I was expecting.

I had just finished shading the skirt on my fourth dress when a sudden, "Good afternoon," made me slip and ruin the drawing.

"Ah!" I whirled around and pulled out my gun from my purse. Almost forgot I even had that thing.

A female echidna was standing in front of the Master emerald, her hands hanging at her sides. She was a lighter red than Knuckles and was wearing a tribal outfit of some sort. Her skirt was a light green, red, and light green diamond pattern and she wore a white tank-top with a golden necklace/neckline that seemed to have jewels embedded in it. Her right arm had a golden armband and her hands had white gloves and blue bracelets. The shoes were simply white and wrapped up her legs. White bands were wrapped around her locks that were held back by a gold headband, also containing a jewel.

I stood up and backed up slightly, "Who are you? How did you get here? What-"

The woman held out her hands out, palms up, "I am sorry. I did not mean to startle you. I am Tikal, a Guardian of Chaos."

I stared at her, a little suspicious, "Knuckles didn't mention you."

"I don't usually appear to strangers, but I wanted to meet the girl Knuckles is crazy about and Chaos seems to have a peculiar interest in you."

"What do you mean?" My interest was caught, but I didn't lower the gun.

Tikal motioned at the emerald, which seemed to be glowing a little brighter than last time I glanced at it, "Chaos is very pleased with your actions in life, Sonia."

Okay… creepy girl telling me that a spirit is pleased with- _wait did she say, Sonia?_

"My name is Sofia," I looked a little nervous and glanced behind me. Where was Knuckles?

Tikal smiled, "Not according to Chaos. Sonia Aleena Hedgehog. A lovely name, if I may say so."

I'm not an idiot. When some lady says she's sent from Chaos and somehow knows my full name, then I'm going to believe her. I lowered the gun and hesitantly sat on the top step of the shrine, "You really are a Guardian, aren't you?"

Tikal smiled, "I'm sorry again for frightening you. I understand your uneasiness. Although with your abilities, I'm a bit surprised at your reaction."

"How much do you know about me?" I asked.

"As much as Chaos told me. Your name and your gifts was the most detailed he got."

"At least he spared me my private life."

"No, Knuckles told me about that."

I rolled my eyes. Of course he did. "Well, you apparently know about me. Who are you? And how come Knuckles hasn't mentioned you?"

Tikal went on to explain how she lived inside the Master Emerald with Chaos and how she helped out when Chaos gets unleashed in a bad mood. Apparently that happened a few years ago which when she met Knuckles face to face the first time. Since then, she showed up a few times to keep Knuckles company and gave him pointers or help with recent Chaos Emerald problems (whatever that meant). By the time she was done explaining, it had been almost two hours since Knuckles had left.

"Wonder what's keeping him," I asked aloud.

Tikal frowned, "Not sure… usually it doesn't take this long to defeat Robotnik."

"Do what now?"

"Oh, that's right. Knuckles hadn't gotten there yet. It's a long story, but I'll shorten it down. There is an evil man who is trying to take over the world and Knuckles helps GUN keep him in line and attempt to bring him in."

"Uh… well, now I'm glad I sent him. Sounds important." I pulled my knees up to my chest and stared out at the scenery. "Does Knuckles...like me?"

Tikal looked a little surprised, "Of course he does! Why would you think that?"

"Well… I just am trying to figure things out myself. This is the first time I've actually dated a guy like him- heck, a _guy-_ and I have no idea what to do sometimes. He's just so… sweet and kind and such a gentleman. Not at all what I'm used to."

Tikal sat down next to me and placed her hands in her lap, "You should have heard him when he came home after that first day you met. He was just as confused as you are now. Knuckles debated for days if he should call you. I finally told him to just get it over with."

I smiled. I could practically see Knuckles nervously pacing around the emerald with his phone trying to figure it out and get the courage to dial the number. "At least I'm not the only nervous one."

We laughed and continued chatting. I finally got the courage to ask Tikal what she knew about my abilities, as I didn't understand them myself.

What I received was very insightful indeed.

"You are descended from a chosen champion of Chaos. Chaos energy runs through your veins, blessing your family with special abilities. You inherited the ability to see visions of past, present, and future. Chaos energy is generally what will set the visions off, but sometimes they can just come. Take your most recent vision for instance. Knuckles had an emerald on him at the time. Close proximity made a vision occur."

Well… that explained a lot, "But back in my village, I always had them. Almost every day."

"That… is difficult to explain. I am forbidden to say the reason, but your Uncle may have some answers to that riddle."

"Uncle Chuck hates my abilities! Why would he keep me somewhere that they'll go off?"

"He probably didn't know. You're Uncle has strayed far from his chosen path."

I frowned, "What do you mean?"

Tikal shook her head, "I'm forbidden to say."

"... Great."

"Don't take offense from it," the echidna stood up, "Chaos is very protective of his secrets."

"What about Manic? Does he have powers?" I often suspected that my brother was hiding something from me.

"Yes, but not in the same way as you. Chaos is not as pleased with his use of them."

I groaned, "Any destruction of property or loss of life?" Don't give me that look- I remembered his antics from when we were kids like it was yesterday.

"You'll have to ask him when you see him. Chaos is much more pleased with your elder brother."

My eyes blinked at her, a little confused. I smiled sadly, "Yes, Maurice did save us, didn't he? His speed was very useful…. I miss him."

"He misses you as well," Tikal frowned slightly. "Pardon, but why do you say, 'was'?"

"Well, um… he died. A long time ago." Now I was really confused.

Tikal frowned, "Chaos instructs me to ask, 'Are you sure?'"

Of course I was sure! Why wouldn't I be sure? My mind was swimming slightly. This was getting very strange, very fast.

"You knew Manic was alive, even though he has been missing for many years. A triplet intuition, if you will. Did you ever feel your brother leave to the afterlife?"

I stared at her, "I was six! How am I supposed to know if-"

Tikal took my hands gently and smiled, "Close your eyes and concentrate. What does your heart tell you?"

My instincts took over. Slowly, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I cleared my mind and focused. I am unable to describe what I did exactly, but a sudden warmth seemed to fill my heart and my eyes flew open.

 _Maurice was alive._

 _Oh my Chaos…_

"Tikal… I-" I couldn't finish, but felt the tears start to come.

Tikal looked concerned, "Sonia, are you al-" she stiffened and her hands flew up around my wrists, her grip suddenly turned to iron. Her eyes glowed green.

My vision from a few weeks ago suddenly came back to me. Female echidna with green eyes… _Oh Chaos._ Frantically, I tried to yank away, but to no avail. The one time I don't listen to my visions!

Tikal's voice pulled my attention. It was hollow and fierce, speaking with with an unyielding power.

" _The Darkness is growing_

 _The Eldest Lives_

 _It has been left Unguarded"_

I continued to struggle, but Tikal's grip was too tight, unyielding and unwilling to let go. She continued,

" _Favorite of mine_

 _Listen well to warnings_

 _As the trail grows faint_

 _Return to the beginning_

 _Although the Future you may see_

 _You can never turn it_

 _Family must be cleaved to_

 _It is easily lost_

 _Trust in those you love_

 _At times they know more than you_

 _Do not underestimate the Darkness_

 _It will kill"_

My resistance finally stopped and I just stared at the Guardian, my terror and wonder growing continuously stronger.

 _Favorite of mine_

 _Remain strong and remember:_

 _You are one of_

 _My Chosen"_

I felt my skin seem to go cold and my mind almost exploded with visions blurred.

* * *

 _Maurice screamed and fell to his hands and knees as a ring of energy thrust outward._

* * *

 _The old ruins stood hidden in the greenery. Manic grabbed my arm, "Maybe we shouldn't do this…"_

* * *

 _I stood in a hospital room staring a beeping machine that barely made any noise. A black and red hedgehog occupied the bed, complete with life support systems and bandages wrapped around his head and chest._

* * *

 _Manic suddenly whirled around and smacked me, "Shut up!"_

 _I let out a cry of pain and fell to the ground, the tears already trying to escape._

* * *

 _Someone wrapped their hands around my throat and I felt my airway close off. Manic's screams of terror filled my ears and pain shot to my brain making me want to scream, but was unable to. Then it all suddenly stopped. The sound and pain vanished._

 _I still wasn't breathing._

Everything went black.

* * *

Knuckles POV:

I leave my island for two hours and what happens? I almost _die_ and come back to find my girlfriend unconscious on the ground next to the Master Emerald and a _solid_ Tikal.

 _DID I MISS SOMETHING HERE?_

"Tikal!" I shouted, running to Sonia's body. Maybe… if I was lucky… she was just having one of her migranes. Yeah, that was it. This was just a bad spell. She'd be fine.

Unless…

I whipped around to face Tikal. "Did she touch the Emerald?"

Tikal looked just as scared as I felt, but she shook her head. "N-no!"

"Did she hit her head?"

"No-"

"Did she eat anything from any of the plants?"

"No-"

" _Then what happened?_ "

Tikal shut her eyes and breathed deeply, pressing her palms together for a moment, remaining silent except for her slow, calming breaths.

" _ **Tikal!**_ " I shouted. "We don't have time for this! What- _happened?_ "

"Soni- _Sofia…_ she, erm… how do I put this tactfully…?" said Tikal slowly. "I'm not exactly sure."

"What do you mean you're _'not exactly sure'_?"

"We were just talking and I blacked out for a second. When I came to, she was just… like this," she spread her arms out towards the still girl.

Two things about that sentence were off, "You were talking to her?"

"...Yes."

"Why?"

Tikal bit her lip and looked down, "It's complicated. I don't understand it completely, myself."

In other words, _'I'm not entirely sure what happened and even if I did know I can't tell you'._

I knelt down and gently checked Sofia for injuries, "The black out. Why did you black out?"

"Chaos did something. I felt the surge in energy, then… this."

Chaos surges could be very harmful to the living, especially if not used to the exposure. My heart picked up again and I scooped the girl up into my arms. "I'm taking her to the hut to see if she'll improve. You," I glared at the Guardian, "and I are going to have a chat later."

Tikal gave a small nod of acknowledgement and bowed. Then she simply vanished.

I jogged through the forest with Sofia in my arms, holding her tight. I was glad my hut wasn't too far from the Master Emerald, only a little ways off from the shrine. Chaos, if she wasn't okay… she's going to break up with me after this. _I'd_ break up with me after this. Amy was right. Great idea, bringing her to the island and leaving her by herself! Now your (possibly soon-to-be ex) girlfriend is unconcious! Way to go!

I made it back to my hut in record time. It wasn't anything special, just a place I had built for shelter from any storms passing over the island. Inside was a makeshift bed, some food storage, and a pile of dry logs, along with a small arsenal of ropes, spears, and carved stone knives I had made myself.

I laid Sofia down gently on the bed and began to frantically pace. What do you do when your girlfriend passes out from unknown reasons? Give her medicine? Fresh air? An electric shock? I was freaking out.

Chaos must have been feeling very generous today. Sofia moaned then slowly opened her eyes, looking very confused.

I knelt down and frowned, "Hey… um, you okay?"

She blinked, "Where…" her voice trailed off as her brow furrowed with concentration.

"You were passed out by the Master Emerald," I rubbed my hands together, "Did you have an episode or…?"

Sofia blinked again, then her eyes grew wide and she looked a little frantic. "Oh Chaos…" her hands flew up to her mouth and she went pale.

I began to apologize for leaving her alone, but trailed off as I noted she wasn't paying attention, but seemed to be a million miles away. As gently as possible, I placed my hand on her arm, "Are you okay? Do you need a doctor? Sofi, what's wrong?"

Sofia opened her mouth but no sound came out. She gulped a few times, hesitated, then mumbled something.

"What?"

"I…"

"I still can't hear you."

Her voice raised just barely enough for me to hear. "I need to go."

"Oh. Okay." I stood up and offered my hand, but she ignored it. She's mad at me. Chaos, I'm boyfriend stew. Why does this stuff always happen to me?

I lead her out of the house and down the steps. The ride back to the mainland on my Extreme Gear was silent and uneventful. The whole time I debated if I should break the silence, but couldn't find a way to start a conversation that wasn't painfully awkward.

Sofia barely mumbled a goodbye when we arrived at her apartment before she wandered inside. I stood in place, before wandering down the streets, lost in my swirling mess of thoughts.

 **Oh, the foreshadowing and the tension. I want to scream in excitement and annoyance.**

 **Tell us what you thought of Knuckles POV and if you liked it or if it needs a different take on it? (we tried to aim for stating facts and no intentional humor).**

 **This is going SO SLOW. I'm annoyed by myself. Can we get this done yet?**

 **Sorry, I'm annoyed at a computer program. I'll be fine next chapter.**

 **Review please!**


	28. A Rouge Rescue

**Um… I would make some fun jokes and whatever else, but I have a bat who is holding me hostage. So while I'm trying to escape these ropes (honestly, how tight did she do the knots?) Halo is in charge. It appears that she has temporarily abandoned me to help Rouge. Apparently, she still isn't completely over breaking her Manic.**

 _ **Hey, judge her all you want, but that bat knows how to have fun. In fact, we've planned a whole jewel heist for next week! Can't wait for that breakfast at Tiffany's, Rouge!**_

 **If you show up on the news, no typing for a week.**

 _ **Hmmpf.**_

" _Can we start now?"_

 **We need to do reviews!**

" _No." *Gags Oceanera12*_

 _ **Now, Rouge, we talked about this. No unnecessary bloodshed.**_

" _She's not bleeding."_

 ***muffled yelling***

" _See, she's fine. Now let's start."_

 _ **Will do. Onward! (Sorry, Era. #sorrynotsorry)**_

 ***Glares***

Rouge's POV:

I was deep in Meerkat territory. It had taken me a little over three hours to find their boundaries, based on the different gang colors seen in each part of town- and believe me, there were a _lot._

But even though I had found their borders, it was still going to be a challenge finding where they were keeping him. From what I had gathered about the Meerkats, they dabbled in drug trafficking, which didn't exactly require a set-in-stone base of operations. My guess was that they moved around to avoid suspicion- that would explain all the reports of arson in this neighborhood.

It was almost 7:30 now and annoyingly dark, making it all the harder to pinpoint where I was or which way I should be heading. But I had a basic idea of where to go- those boys never did take off their colors, did they?

I selected a shifty-looking weasel to trail. He walked briskly with his hands jammed in his jacket pockets and a limp cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He wore a dull blue beanie overtop his floppy gray fur. The only thing on his person that didn't look older than him was a shiny gold chain around his neck that glimmered in the dim illumination of the street lights. I found myself subconsciously plotting ways to pinch that chain; it just looked so… I needed it. But I needed to focus on tracking him for the time being. If my hunch was correct, this sap was my ticket to finding Maniac.

He walked erratically, nearly breaking into a run one moment then ambling along so slowly that I had to almost stop just so I wouldn't catch up to him and expose myself just yet. I was already feeling irritated with him; I didn't even have to talk to him to get that he was one of _those_ people.

My patience was quickly wearing thin. I waited until he had rounded a deserted street corner before flying ahead and dropping front of him. He was so startled that he almost fell backwards, but I caught him by the scruff of his shirt just before he toppled to the ground and banged his head against the wall of a store just hard enough to leave him unconscious.

Lifting his limp form in my arms, I flapped my wings and took off in the air, scouting for a place to settle. I spotted a foreclosed office building that was scheduled to be torn down in a week and flew in through an open window, dropping the weasel unceremoniously on the floor.

I reached into the inside of my jacket and groped around for the right pocket. I found it, unzipping the pouch and extracting my personal set of handcuffs I had invested in during my jewel heist with Maniac. This was as good a time as any to use them- can't say I haven't been looking forward to it.

I fastened one end of the cuffs tightly onto the weasel's wrist and the other end on a loose steel beam that had broken off the worn-down building. Just in time, too- he was beginning to stir. Let the fun begin.

His eyes blinked open. "Wha… who…" He caught sight of me and gulped, obviously realizing whose presence he was in.

"Morning, sunshine. You'll be a dear and answer some questions for me, won't you?" I asked sweetly.

The interview wasn't very satisfying. Apparently this one had more guts than the other gang members because no matter how many times I threatened him with death and smacked him until he was getting close to losing consciousness, he wouldn't talk. So after about twenty minutes of no progress, I decided to make a phone call.

After three rings, a very annoyed, _"What?"_ was heard. I smirked to myself and told my prisoner I'd be watching him. I turned away and responded, "Hiya, partner. Just wanted to thank you for leaving me in the rain."

Shadow's annoyed huff was all I got in response.

"It's not very polite to leave a lady like that."

" _Is that all?"_

"No. I need a favor."

" _What kind of favor?"_

"It's very simple and very easy. It should take about ten seconds for you. Just come to my coordinates in the next thirty seconds."

Lucky for me, he was in a semi-good mood. Must have still been awake.

Imagine my delight when the weasel let out a startled shout when a bright flash filled the room. It was even better when the light clear and revealed the black and red hedgehog. The face went from shocked to horrified.

Shadow took one look at the tied up weasel and my smug expression, and knew exactly what I wanted.

"No." he said bluntly.

"Please?"

"No."

"Come on, stripes, you're so good at it!"

"Do _not_ call me that. And no."

"Come on, you know you love it! And if that's not enough for you, tell you what- I'll let you off the hook for leaving in the rain. By myself. Now doesn't that sound nice?"

"... Fine."

Needless to say, it took exactly 8.6 seconds for Shads to get the weasel to squeal. It was rather humorous to watch; Shadow walked up real close to him, not saying a word, and just stared at him. I could see the sweat rolling down the weasel's face. Silently, Shadow summoned a chaos spear and held it against his throat.

" _ **Talk.**_ "

"OKAY, OKAY, I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, HONEST!"

I smiled. That's more like it. "Thank you, Shadow, that'll do. See, I told you it would be easy!"

Shadow grumbled something inaudible and disappeared in a flash of light. Good 'ol Stripey.

I turned back to the weasel. "Now… are we ready to cooperate?"

He nodded.

"Good. Spill."

He proceeded to inform me that my instinct was correct; the Meerkats _had_ kidnapped Matthews, and were currently holding him hostage in in order to extract information from him about the Strikers. Unfortunately, he hadn't been talking, and the last time the weasel had seen him (about two days ago), he was out cold. The weasel hadn't checked up on the Meerkats since then, but with what they had in store, Maniac had to have cracked by now.

"What _exactly_ are they planning?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Not sure. Rick mentioned something about using our store of acid to help break him, but that could kill 'im, so they might jus' try to get him drunk and have him snitch that way." He had become steadily more comfortable blabbing about his "friends"- not that I'm complaining. Knowledge is power, and free knowledge means no annoying power struggles to deal with.

"Where are they keeping him?"

For the first time, he hesitated.

"I can always call back my 'special friend' if we need any help getting answers," I said gently, pulling out my cell phone.

"HE'S IN THE BASEMENT OF THE AUTO GARAGE ON NIKKIE STREET! I DON'T KNOW NOTHING ELSE, I SWEAR IT! DON'T KILL ME!"

"Of course not, hon! You've been too helpful. Thanks a bunch!" I said cheerfully, spreading my wings to leave.

"W-wait… ain't you- ain't you gonna lemme out now?" he asked timidly.

"Mmm, I don't think so. I'm sure a smart boy like you can figure his own way out, right? Toodles!" I ignored his whines for assistance as I made my exit; the helplessness of that second-rate stool pigeon was too funny for words.

The auto garage wasn't too difficult to find- now that I knew where I was headed, the mission was almost cushy.

I reached into my jacket and unwrapped a bejeweled silk scarf, covering my head and part of my face. Barging into the garage, I brushed past who I assumed to be the head mechanic, a thirty-something chipmunk reading a magazine.

"Hey- hey, you! You can't go in there, get back-" His request was cut off by me kicking him swiftly in the groin and tossing him across the room. I didn't need any distractions right now.

Grabbing the set of keys that had fallen out of his pocket, I scouted around for what might be the door to the basement. I found it tucked away in the corner of the shop- locked, as I had predicted. The keys were a perfect fit; I pushed through the door and darted down the stairs, a whoosh of brisk air greeting me. The stairs led to a poorly lit square common room with a dingy beige carpet. Scantily decorated, the few pieces of furniture the room held were obviously stolen. I was not impressed.

I peeked into the door leading away from the common area; just storage space, packed with suspicious-smelling crates and packages. I wondered briefly what could be inside them and if they might be of any worth, but the pungent smell of chemicals reminded me of what the Meerkat's business was. I shut the door.

My fists were clenched in anger; that idiot weasel had _lied_ to me! I was glad that I hadn't let him go- when I got my hands on him-

Suddenly, I perked up. Just as I was about to head back up the stairs, the sounds of pained groans met my ears in the direction… of a broom closet. Huh. Worth a try.

I walked back over towards the closet, when a deep, husky voice sounded out. I stopped dead in my tracks, slowly inching my way to the door, careful not to make a sound.

"Rise 'n shine, Maniac. You've been out a long time." Matthews, or who I assumed to be Matthews, groaned in reply.

"Doesn't feel too good, huh, Maniac? Maybe if you had told us what we wanted to hear a few hours ago, we wouldn't be where are now. But you're a big kid. I know you can take it. … Rick, get up, Maniac's awake."

"Hrrmm? Oh, yeah, good. We gonna…"

"Yep. You got it on you?"

" 'Course. Wait a sec… yeah, here."

"Open up, Maniac… Swallow it. Swallow it, already!"

Another loud groan; sounds of coughing. I'd had enough. When I busted through to the broom closet (which was much larger than I expected it to be), the smile was wiped clean from my face when I saw what the hunched figure between the two men I had heard talking. It was small, its head bowed and limp green quills falling in front of its face. Its hands and feet were tied to a chair; I recognized the ratty gray jeans and dark red vest all too well.

I had found my Maniac.

"What the- Who in Chaos are _you?_ " cussed one of the men, flustered and surprised. I ignored him, making a beeline towards Matthews. They tried to block my way; big mistake. I picked one up by his throat and tossed him like a bag of rocks onto the gritty cement floor. The other I punched in the gut as hard as I could, hearing the faint sounds of cracking ribs and throwing him on top of the first one.

Maniac was hunched over, conscious but only barely. He was trembling, his eyes fluttering open and closed. I bit back a startled gasp at the sight of his bloody, messed-up face; his nose, forehead, lips, and chin were coated with dried blood, and both his eyes were puffy and lined with circles of dark red, purple, and brown, so opaque it seemed for a moment like some sick form of makeup. The quills that fell in front of his once-bright blue eyes were greasy and matted with blood and sweat; his split lips were bleeding freely, and his cheeks and chin were spotted with bruises in various shades of purple and brown. The front of his shirt was stained with splotches of blood and his chest was heaving, and already I could tell that at least two of his ribs were fractured or worse. I brushed back his shaggy green quills, feeling an unfamiliar pang of discomfort in my gut.

"You got hit _bad_ , didn't you?" I said softly, more to myself than anything. Suddenly, I remembered that the rats I had just beat up had force fed him something before I intervened. I turned to the two men in the heap in the corner.

" _What did you do to him?_ "

The larger of the pair, a scruffy brown squirrel with buck teeth, looked up. "Nothin'."

I sprang to my feet, speeding at an unnatural pace to where he laid. I grabbed him by the collar and leaned in close, gritting my teeth.

"I'm going to ask you just one more time, and if you feel like leaving this basement alive, you'll tell me the truth: What. Did. You. _Do?_ "

He gulped, meeting my gaze, then looking away. "Dunno what you're talkin' bout."

I clenched my fists ever tighter, my fingers creeping towards the pressure points on his neck. "You gave him something. You've done something to him. I can kill you in three seconds and get away scot free." His eyes widened, realizing I was serious.

"You- you're bluffing," he said weakly. My nails dug into the soft flesh of his neck.

"Okay, okay, fine! We boozed him up, 'kay? To get him to talk! But that stubborn 'lil faggot still wouldn't say anything, so we gave him a little acid to open his mouth! Lemme go, ya crazy-"

I dropped him. Oh, no. This was bad. This was very, very bad.

I had to get him out of here, fast. Quickly, I ungloved my right hand and used a talon-like fingernail to slit the ropes tying Matthews to the chair. Once the bindings had been cut and his wrists and ankles were free, Matthews fell forward into my arms with groan. I picked him up in my arms as gently as I could while still keeping a good hold on him, speed-walking out of the broom closet and up the basement stairs.

You know, on a normal day, I'm really quite a reasonable person. Really, I am. But when I am in the middle of something very important and several angry-looking boys in Meerkat colors make the unfortunate decision of physically confronting me, I am not responsible for their injuries. Even with my arms occupied with Matthews, my legs alone were sufficient weaponry in forcing my way outside. The few that tried to run after me were rewarded with the swift kick of justice. I flapped my wings and rose up to the open air. I had to get Matthews to somewhere safe- if he died on me (which was extremely possible at this point) I'd never stop feeling guilty because I wasn't able to pay him. And we couldn't have _that,_ now, could we?

* * *

I laid Matthews down on the guest bed and ran to the first aid cupboard. This wasn't your run-of-the-mill plastic kit you'd buy at the drugstore, though; this was hospital-grade medical equipment, and at the moment, absolutely necessary.

First thing to treat was his head. It was plain that he had a concussion; how bad, I wasn't sure yet, but I had a bad feeling. Never before had I been so grateful for my training in combat medicine from all those years ago.

I won't explain the entire process out of respect for the squeamish, but I did everything I could to try and patch him up. I applied hot and cold compresses to his head and chest to bring down the swelling, and cleaned up most of his wounds with an antibiotic sanitizer.

Matthews had either lost consciousness or fallen asleep when I came in after washing my hands, which made it easier for me to dress his concussion and various bruises. It was more likely that his ribs had been fractured rather than completely broken now that I had time to get a decent look at them, which was good; the nearest hospital was a half an hour away and Matthews was too fragile to move.

Maybe I should be explaining to you why I was so panicked. Don't know if this is common knowledge where you come from, but alcohol plus any kind of drugs taken close to the same time equals very possible death. Combining that with all the injuries he sustained over the last few days that had gone untreated, it would take a miracle for Matthews to make it out of this in perfect health. I could make sure he survived, but I guaranteed there'd be scars- bad ones.

He'd been asleep for a few hours when I heard his familiar groans coming from the guest room. I walked in to check up on him and was shocked to see him sitting up in bed. He was holding his bandaged head with both hands, shaking slightly.

"Where… am I?" he asked, his voice loopy and erratic.

"You're at my house." I said, stepping into his view. He sort of stared at me for a while; his dull blue eyes strangely piercing. Slowly, he stretched forth his hand, swiping at air.

"Are you wearing… a… wizard's hat?" he asked.

Lovely. The LSD's kicked in.

"No, I am not." I said bluntly and clearly. "Go back to sleep."

Matthews didn't appear to have heard me. He was blinking rapidly as though he was staring at something bright, even though the only source of light was a dim lamp on the table next to the bed. His hands were shaking violently, and slowly, very slowly, he was moving to get up.

"No," I said firmly. "You need to rest. Get back in bed."

Again, he ignored me, and started tiptoeing to the door. I stopped him, but he tried to fight back.

"Fool, you've doomed us all!" he shouted, startling me. He stared at me in horror, as if I were some horrible monster.

"What in the world-" I said, grasping the back of his shirt in an attempt to keep him from running off. My grip slipped as he tore out of my reach and down the hall and attempted a clumsy somersault.

" _Sta- stay away! Go away!_ " he yelled, backing away from me in terror.

"Calm down, Matthews. You're okay. Everything is okay," I said gently, trying not to stimulate a delusion that he'd find frightening. I'd seen how LSD works on others more times than I'd care to admit: you see things that aren't there, you hear things that aren't real, and your imagination goes off-the-wall insane. It's an awful thing to watch, especially when the person who's high starts envisioning scary or dangerous things and panicking. That seemed to be the case for Matthews; I had no idea what he was hallucinating, but whatever the drug had done to him, it was _freaking me out._

My attempt to help him regain some peace of mind seemed to work- for about a minute. I was more than a little surprised when he grabbed me by the shoulders and stared at me with a manic grin.

"Bucky! _It_ _ **is**_ _you_!" he exclaimed.

"Who the heck is Bucky?"

Matthews released my shoulders, staring off into space. He whipped around, sprinting down the hall before tripping and falling on his knees, gripping the floor and breathing heavily. "Can we… slow… slow down... please? I can't… I can't breathe.."

I'm going to stop trying to understand what he's imagining. It's too much of a headache.

His outbursts began following a sort of pattern after a while, ranging from him living out a movie scene to shouting to how we're all gonna die and it was his fault. At one point, he climbed on top of my coffee table and started screaming at the top of his lungs about how he was Tarzan, King of the Jungle, then froze for an entire minute before suddenly blurting out 'It's a Trap!', whatever _that's_ supposed to mean. Then he fell on his back and began mumbling about giant killer bees with lasers.

It was a good thing I wasn't a person who needed too much sleep to function, because that night I hardly got _any._ Most of my time was spent keeping Matthews from either killing himself or wrecking my house- and I think I knew why they called him 'Maniac' now. I knew it was probably just the acid at work, but that boy is the single most random person I have ever met. Over the course of about five or six hours, he jumped from spaced-out bliss to trying to ward off the 'screaming rainbows' to huddling in a corner crying like a child (Matthews was a lot of things, but he _wasn't_ a crier, I knew that much). I was tempted several times just to whack him over the head and have him sleep off the drug, but the angel on my shoulder reminded me that with all the head injuries he had already sustained, knocking him out might result in him never waking up.

So I stayed patient with him. If he started screaming about how he was 'dying', all it took was for me to ask him why he felt that way, and after a few minutes of almost incoherent explanations, he'd usually be alright. Half the time, he was confused and kept asking me to make the colors and sounds go away or he'd go insane, so I had to keep reminding him that he was on drugs and none of it was real, he'd be alright. I don't even think Matthews recognized me; every time we made eye contact, I was someone else, some new identity he had hallucinated or remembered.

"Hello, Dumbledore, have you come to give me my letter?" he asked serenely.

I took personal offense to this. Scuse me, but I look _nothing_ like an old man with beard and a magic stick. Out of nowhere, he shouted 'CONSTANT VIGILANCE', startling me for a moment before I picked up a magazine to distract myself from his indecipherable chatter.

When I looked up about four minutes later, he was gone.

Lovely.

"Matthews, if you're hiding again, I swear to Chaos, I'll-" I caught a glimpse of green in the guest bedroom and popped my head in.

Somehow- _I have_ _ **no clue**_ _how he did this-_ Matthews had broken into my wall safe I had behind the painting of the camellia, cracked the code, and _stolen my gem_. I was half infuriated and half impressed; I mean, how many people have you met that are so good at what they do that they can do it while so high he's practically walking on air?

"You. Give me my gem." I said firmly, pointing to him. He was crouched down, clutching the jewel tightly. He looked at me and shook his head.

"My… _precious…_ "

Sweet Chaos, how invested in pop culture was this boy?

"No. You will give my gem, right now." I said. "Drop it."

" _Precious…_ "

"It is _not_ your 'precious'. You're hallucinating again. Drop. The gem."

I expected him to keep resisting, but instead he just stared into the gleam of the jewel's surface, his eyes widening. He threw it across the room, scooting back against the wall in hysteria.

"Get it away! I don't wanna die! _Get it away, it hurts! I'm sorry, Locke! I didn't mean to- I should've- I… I…_ " He lunged at my hand, grabbing it and staring up at me helplessly, trembling uncontrollably.

"Hurry! We gotta help him, please! He's dying! I can't make it stop, and… and… please…" His voice trailed off into a string of strangled sobs. So he wasn't kidding when he said he didn't like jewels. Huh.

Fortunately, around the seventh or eighth hour, the more intense delusions began to subside, replaced by bouts of dizziness where he couldn't even walk straight, and occasionally abrupt bursts of emotions, from what I could gather was mostly fear and sadness. I could hardly calm him down before he lapsed back to muttering about his Mom and Dad and fire and someone named 'Maurice'. (What movie was _that_ from?)

According to the web search I had made, the effects should start to be wearing off about now. I waited until he was in a more peaceful mood before leading him back to the guest room to sleep off the rest of the acid, surprised by how open he was to suggestion now that the more extreme reactions had eased off. His wince when he laid down on his side reminded me of his injured ribs; yet another reason for him to rest up. Luckily, he fell asleep quickly, exhausted by the escapades of the last several hours.

Now that you mention it, I was feeling a bit drowsy myself. I yawned; time for me to get some long-awaited beauty sleep.

"Good night, Matthews," I said quietly. "Get well soon."

* * *

The bright light streaming through my open curtains awoke me. My alarm clock informed me that it was late morning, almost noon; I had slept at least eight hours, and felt much better.

The sounds of muffled talking reminded me that I still had a guest here. I didn't expect Maniac to be up at all yet, but it seemed like he decided to be an early riser. Then again, I didn't have anyone else in the house, so he was probably talking to himself. Not a good sign.

"Matthews? You awake?" I called. No answer.

I walked to the guest room and creaked open the door. Matthews was still asleep (he was in bed with his eyes closed), but was murmuring something incoherent. Chaos, if it was possible to have an LSD episode in your sleep…

"Nyyrrfffugamdoo… no thanks, I don't like bananas..."

Fun fact that I didn't really care to know... "Matthews? Are you alright?"

"... don't worry, Sonia, I won't be late, I promise…"

Okay, so he talks in his sleep- loudly. Great.

I won't bore you with the details of the next day and a half. Matthews was asleep basically the whole time, talking loudly and in random bursts. Luckily, he wasn't sleep walking- probably due to the fact that he was almost too weak to move. I'd forced a few vitamin supplements down his throat instead of trying to feed him myself (Note to self: _Never_ become a nurse), so I knew he was healing. I just didn't know when he'd be back in his right mind.

The funny thing I'd noticed about him was that he talked the same way whether he was awake or asleep: in short, random spurts of nonsense or in one-sided conversations; topics included mostly things about his gang, his "Uncle Chuck", and some girl named Sonia who I assumed to be an ex-girlfriend or something. Gag me.

"Matthews, get up for a second. I need you to take the pills again," I said, shaking him gently. If he didn't take the supplements, he'd starve, and I was _so_ notprepared to handle a dead body (not anymore, at least).

He stirred, but didn't awaken. "... Go 'way, Uncle Chuck, I don't wanna go to school…" he said, his voice muffled by the pillow.

I rolled my eyes. Not this again. "Get up, Matthews," I said wearily.

"... make Sonia do it…"

Welcome to my life of the last few days. I knew that it wasn't Matthews's fault that he was in this state, but that didn't stop me from feeling completely and utterly frustrated.

Until he finally woke up.

* * *

Matthews's POV:

I didn't know where the heck I was, why I was covered in bandages, or even if I was alive, but on the bright side…

On the bright side…

I got nothing. Where was I?

I blinked for a while to get used to the bright sunlight streaming through the window, taking in the cityscape laid out before me. If my deductions were correct, I was somewhere uptown. Huh. I kinda always assumed that my personal heaven would be in the Striker's neighborhood.

Unless I wasn't in heaven.

 _Oh Chaos._

But if that was the case, then the other place was pretty nice, all things considered. I took a look around the room I was in; plain white walls, one with a painting of a dark pink flower hung up. A shut closet door was on one side, windows on the other; I was sitting in a large, comfortable bed with clean white sheets.

"Toto…" I said out loud to myself. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

I tried to sit up and winced in agony; what the heck happened to my chest? It was wrapped loosely in gauze and stung every time I took a breath. Come to think of it… what happened to the rest of me? I had the worst headache of my life, the room was spinning slightly, and my entire face felt like a pincushion being stabbed repeatedly. Maybe this would be my eternal torture: Spending all eternity in a beautiful room but being in too much pain to raid the place.

That's really, really mean.

"Are you _still_ delusional?" called out a voice from out of the room.

The heck... who was that, the guy at the pearly gates? Crap, I'm screwed. How many sins do you have to have committed to get locked out of heaven? Let's see, I've lied, I've cheated, I've stolen, I've assaulted police officers, I've gotten into fights that send people to the hospital, I once pushed a guy off a- _you know what_ , let's just stop there.

"Um… sir?" I said as loudly as I could without recoiling in pain from my chest. "If you're, like, the guy in charge or whatever, I'm really sorry! And I'd like to repent now!"

" _What?_ "

Weird. The voice obviously belonged to a woman… I kinda always thought the pearly gates guy would be, y'know, _a guy._ But hey, the times they are 'a changin.

"Yeah, like, if it's not too late or anything, I'd like to be forgiven or something like that. Is that allowed?"

There was no answer, just a bunch of loud grumbling. Ooookay, then. "Um… do I need to have referrals to get in or am I going to be judged straight off and sent to… you know. _There._ "

"I'm sorry, are you awake?"

I stretched my hands in front of me, "Um… well, can you sleep when you're dead?... Oh geez, I never thought of this before. Why didn't I think of this before? And now I'm dead, and it's too late and- _HOLY COW._ "

In the doorway stood a tall white bat who was crossing her arms grouchily and pursing her lips. I knew her… we were… friends? No, that didn't sound right. What was her name again? Something with an 'R'... Rachel... Raina… Rose… Maybe Rose? Sounded right…

Wait.

She's a bat.

Her name is something with an 'R'.

She's looking at me like she wants to skin me alive.

 _I KNOW THIS PERSON._

"... Rouge?"

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. 'Bout time you got up," she said gruffly.

I didn't answer; a million questions were running through my mind, and it was making my head hurt even more than it already was.

And then I punched myself in the stomach.

" _OW!_ " I shouted, keeling over and holding my agonized sides in pain.

"What in the- why'd you do _that?_ " asked Rouge, bewildered.

"I was testing to see... if I was a ghost. Clearly… clearly I am _not_." I said, gasping out the words. " _Chaos_ , that hurts… what the heck is going on here?"

"That's what I wanna know. You're the one who got yourself so beat up, not me," she said dryly.

"What're you talking about?"

She took a deep breath. "Kay… I don't know how to put this gently, so I ain't gonna try. I found you at the Meerkat's base after they drugged you-"

"They _what?_ "

"...and I brought you here. You're welcome."

"Back up, back up- I was _drugged?_ "

"Yup."

"By the Meerkats?"

"Yup."

"And you brought me to your house?"

"Yup."

"... _Why?_ "

"Why do you think?" she asked as casually as if we were discussing the weather. "The nearest hospital was a half an hour away from the Meerkat's turf. It was easier just to bring you here."

"That's not true." I said, shaking my throbbing head.

"Oh, really?"

"There's a charity clinic just south of Nelson-Briar Avenue. I go there all the time after fights."

Rouge stared at me with an expression that was difficult to pin; a sort of mixture that was part disgust, part confusion, and (if my intuition was correct) pity. Oh, great. Just what I've always wanted- the girl I like thinks of me as charity case. Smooth, Matthews. Real smooth.

"I wouldn't send my worst enemy to one of those holes," she said flatly, crossing her arms. "Besides, they wouldn't have been able to help you much, not with all the damage those douchebags did to you."

"Try me."

She huffed, annoyed but patient. Huh. She never struck me as the patient type- but I was beginning to sense a spark of warmth inside her; Caring. Kindness.

"Seriously," I asked again. "What'd they do?"

Rouge took a deep breath. "Have you ever heard of LSD before? Or acid?" she said, not looking at me.

My blood ran cold. Holy cow.

She continued. "I found you just after they gave you the drug. You were passed out and I'm pretty sure almost dead, so I got you out of there. You slept for a few hours before the LSD kicked in. Then all hell broke loose."

I buried my face in my hands. "What happened?" I groaned. I'd seen guys on psychedelic acid trips before- good trips and bad ones, and believe me, the bad ones are nothing funny.

"How bad was it?" I vaguely recalled some flashing colors and ear-splitting shrieks, but I had assumed that it was just a bad dream…

"You don't wanna know."

"Yes I do, that's why I asked."

"Well, I don't wanna talk about it."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't. Shut up and rest."

I was tempted to keep arguing about it, but she had a point; I was exhausted and in agony at the same time. Sleep sounded nice...

* * *

I woke up to the sounds of voices outside the door. I had no idea how long I'd been out, but it must've been a while because the sunshine had been replaced by looming dusk. My head still ached and everything was a little blurry, but I did think I was feeling a bit better.

I caught the remnants of a conversation in the background and perked up my ears. It was definitely Rouge on one side, but the other belonged to a stranger speaking in gruff monotone.

"... you have been? Everyone is wondering what in Mobius happened to you," said the unfamiliar voice.

"I've been busy, 'kay?" she replied. "It's my life, Stripey. If I wanna disappear for a couple days, I can. So sue me."

"Do not call me that. I am only asking because the hedgehog mentioned that you had robbed a jewelry store again. And then you go and disappear. That raises the question if you have been lapsing back to your previous criminal tendencies."

"So what's your point?"

"Have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Do not play dumb with me, Rouge. Have you or have you not begun breaking the law again?"

"No comment."

I stifled a snicker. She was caught and for some reason I found it hilarious. Dunno why, but the thought of Rouge under interrogation just made me smile.

"Hmmf," said the voice. I felt like he was rolling his eyes.

"Is that all?" asked Rouge sweetly. "Goodie! Now get out of my apartment."

"You are hiding something."

"Show me your warrant, officer."

"I am the Ultimate Lifeform. I do not need a warrant. You are hiding something that you obviously do not want revealed."

"Yeah, like you know _so_ much- the heck are you doing, Shadow? Where are you going?"

At the mention of 'Shadow', the color drained from my face. Holy crap. This guy was with the Black Arms.

Kay, explanation time: back when I was still in Westopolis, these weird scary aliens who called themselves the Black Arms invaded and this guy popped up and started _shooting everything in sight._ I hid in a basement. Didn't get a reading on him for two reasons; number one is that _he was shooting everything in sight what do you want from me_ , and number two is that he is legit impossible to read. They say the eyes are the window to the soul- I only saw his for a second, but let me testify that his were twelve-foot thick steel alloy safes with a combination lock that not even I can crack. I kid you not.

And now he is searching the house for me.

Crap.

I had to hide. Frantically, I scanned over the guest room for somewhere, _anywhere_ , that I could bunker down in until this horrible scary person left forever. To the side of the bed was the closet; perfect.

Inching my way out of bed and swallowing my winces of pain, I tiptoed over to the closet and tried the handle- locked. Challenge accepted.

I reached into one of my quills and groped around until my fingers found a bobby pin (Rule of Urban Survival: Whatever you do, never ever ever leave home without some form of lockpicking assistance. Trust me on this). I jiggled the metal end in the lock for a few second before it popped open. Quick as a flash, I ducked inside, shutting the door closed. On the inside-knob was the lock button that should've been on the outside. Clever. I locked and huddled down, hardly daring to breathe.

"Come on, Shady, don't you trust me?" said Rouge innocently.

Silence.

"Okay, stupid question. But there's really no need to search my- _why are you going in there?_ Shadow!"

I heard the door open and held my breath. If he found me, what the Meerkats were capable of would look like a schoolyard brawl. _This guy can summon magic green spears._

Rouge must have been shocked that I wasn't in the bed and didn't respond for a few seconds. "See, nothing to see?"

"Who was sleeping here? The bed is mussed."

"Um, me. Who else?"

I heard some scuffling as I guessed Shadow looked under the bed. I gave a grateful prayer that I chose not to hide there.

"Why?"

Rouge didn't hesitate, "Because it's my house and I can sleep where I want. Is that a crime?"

I could practically picture the hedgehog's death glare.

"And…" Rouge hesitated, "I may have found ants in my room and didn't want to sleep there."

"I did not see any ants."

"Were you looking for ants?"

"...No."

"There you go."

I heard the doorknob jiggle and thanked whoever turned the lock around.

"Why is the closet locked?"

"It's been locked for years. I don't use it and don't feel the need to open it. Are you done?"

I heard a huff and then the door closed. I didn't dare to move still, even after the voices died.

Ten minutes later, Rouge popped back in, "He's gone. You can come out now."

"Are you sure?" I called.

"Wait… how did you get in the closet?" I heard the door jiggle then saw it open, Rouge staring down at me, key in hand. I grinned sheepishly and waved up at her.

"Hi." I said.

"Hi. You wanna tell me how you got in there?"

I described my extraordinary adventure to her in my radio-announcer voice that I only use for special occasions, of how I sensed the danger and bravely picked the lock to hide. She didn't seem very impressed.

"If you're so brave, then why did you hide?" she asked skeptically.

"Cuz I'm not stupid. I've seen that guy shoot up half a dozen Black Arms in three seconds. There is no way in heck that I am facing him. Ever."

Rouge smiled. "Nice to see that you _do_ have a shred of common sense in you."

"Hey, I've got plenty of common sense! I just choose not to employ it."

"Go to bed."

"May I say that you are especially beautiful when in the process of deception?"

"Go to bed."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

I crashed at her place for about the next two days, until I could breathe normally and move my arms with a minimal amount of pain. By that time, I had a feeling that my welcome was beginning to wear out. I think it was a Wednesday when I mentioned that I thought I was in good enough shape to leave.

"Well, you'd better be," said Rouge dryly. "Because I was going to kick you out anyway."

 _Love_ it when she gets snappy.

"Well, ain't you the little ball of sunshine?" I asked cheerfully. She stared at me in contempt, but I could see the hint of a smile forming at the edges of her lips. She was warming up to me.

I gave a salute and began to back up to the door, "Well, see you around, Miss Super Spy. It was a pleasure making your acquaintance." I bowed deeply and turned to leave.

"You know, the only reason I even bothered to help you in the first place was to repay you."

I stopped in my tracks. "Pay me for what?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Uh, _Stephanie's_?"

"Oh! Well, seeing as you freakin' _saved my life_ , consider it repaid. In fact, I should be the one repaying _you._ " I paused. "That's a pretty necklace." I pointed to the gold chain she wore around her neck.

Rouge narrowed her eyes. "You're _not_ stealing this."

I laughed. "Nah, I wouldn't steal that! I just think you should wear it sometime."

"I _am_ wearing it, stupid."

"No, no, I mean on Friday."

"What's Friday?"

"Our _date_ , silly!"

Her jaw dropped and I grinned. "Eight 'o clock, sharp. The Emerald Kitchen, best Italian place in town. We'll have to meet up, 'cuz I don't have a car, and commiting grand theft auto may put a damper on our plans. Prison food is not excellent, let me say that. See ya then!" I waved and ducked out of the apartment, closing the door behind me.

As I walked down the hall in victory, I froze and realized what I had done.

What was I thinking? She's Rouge! She'd kill me and eat me before she agreed to go out with-

" _MANIAC!_ "

Rouge stood leaning at the side of the door, arms crossed, scowling. I walked sheepishly over to her to accept my fate. "Yes, ma'am?"

She didn't say anything for a minute. Suddenly, I felt a quick peck on my right cheek.

"Don't be late," she said smugly, a hint of color rushing to her cheeks (which was nothing compared to the tomato my head had turned into). Rouge ducked back into her apartment and shut the door behind her.

For a minute, I couldn't move. Then cheer escaped my mouth.

"YA-HOO!" I cartwheeled down the hall, ignoring the dull pain in my arms and the alarmed looks I received. Who cares? This was the best day of my life!

Wait till I told Curtis- he'd never believe me, but I just got kissed by the girl of my dreams!

 _ **AAAAAA CUTENESS OVERLOAD!**_

 **I have to go calm down Halo again. But while I do that, please review!**

 **Next time… You know what, you'll find out.**


	29. Happy Annerversary

**01010011 01101111 01101110 01101001 01100011 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100100 01100101 01100001 01100100 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101110 00101110 00100000 01010111 01101000 01111001 00111111 00100000 01010111 01100101 01101100 01101100 00101100 00100000 01101100 01100101 01110100 00100111 01110011 00100000 01101010 01110101 01110011 01110100 00100000 01100110 01101001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01101111 01110101 01110100 00101100 00100000 01110011 01101000 01100001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01110111 01100101 00111111**

 **Translation: 'Sonic is a dead man. Why? Well, let's just find out, shall we?'**

 **Don't give me that look, I got really bored and wanted to add a twist. Binary code makes me laugh. Long story. Moving on… Comments!**

 **ultimateCCC: RIGHT? Manic is a lucky ducky… or hedgehog. Whatever.** _ **[And it'll only get better. We have several plot-twisty events scheduled for their date (spoiler alert).]**_

 **StarlightSparks: I'm glad you enjoyed it, because we had a lot of fun typing it. Happy New Years!**

 **Autumn: Thanks, we did. Hope you had a great Christmas as well and a Happy New Year!**

 **KyubiMaster9: Well, let's see… We had a reference from Captain America: Winter Soldier, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and The Wizard of Oz. Everything else was Manic's past talking.** _ **[And just random bursts of weirdness here and there. That's Manic for ya.]**_ **Actually, it's a hallucinatory drug that makes you hallucinate.** _ **[Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious. Never would've figured that out on my own. But yeah, there was a lot of research put into the effects of LSD, so I'm pretty confident in saying that Manic's reaction was pretty accurate.]**_

 **So this chapter has major references to 'Miles from Home', just a heads up.** _ **[If you haven't read that already, you're missing out.]**_ **Hope y'all enjoy! Action!**

Sonic's POV:

Why do I forget the happy dates but remember the painful ones? And when I say dates, I'm not talking about going out with your girl/boyfriend to the movies. I mean dates as in, the day of the month/year/life.

June 21st- My family was murdered.

June 23rd- My Birthday that is supposed to be shared with two others, who died two days earlier. Not much fun.

June 7th- I met Robotnik for the first time since killing my family.

August 26th- I made a very big mistake and decided to abandon Tails in a village after knowing him for about a month. Probably the worst decision I've ever made.

June 25th- The day Shadow 'died' saving the world from Space Colony Ark. Okay, so he's not actually dead, but still. Very sad day. On the bright side, I only had to celebrate that anniversary only once.

January 4th- Hank's Chili Dog closed. (What? That was a really sad day for me! They had the best dogs in town, but apparently no one else agreed with me.)

Looking at my schedule, you can probably guess how happy my summers are.

Not. Fun.

Now if you look at my happy dates you have… Um… Sometime in November, Tails and I officially became brothers… and I met Amy sometime before that in August, but we don't really celebrate that (Tails almost died. Long story). The second time we met was also the day Metal Sonic appeared for the first time and that is _not_ a pleasant memory. I met Knuckles somewhere between August and October.

I joined GUN sometime in December, but is that really a happy memory? I personally would say 'no'. (What kind of Government organization watches a ten year old fight a madman for two years before saying, 'Maybe we should get involved…' Then after that they tell you, 'In order to keep your newly adopted brother from being taken away, you have to 'join' us.)

After all of that happy information, you're probably wondering what does this have to do with anything?

As mentioned previously, I can remember the bad dates but the good dates always seem to slip my mind. Case in point: When I adopted Tails.

It was November.

You can probably see where this is going…

On a Thursday morning, Tails came barging into my room at eight am with a plate of pancakes. I was unfortunately sleeping at the same time so when the door slammed open, my wonderful dream of chili dogs suddenly shattered and I found myself on the floor.

"Ow."

"Oops…" Tails smiled sheepishly, "Sorry. I forgot you were still asleep."

I rubbed my head and sat up on the floor, glaring up at the fox, "Well, you better have a good reason for waking me up. Is Robotnik attacking?"

"No."

"Is Knuckles coming over?"

"No."

"Are you bleeding?"

"Sonic, I think you can tell that yourself."

"Is the General on the phone?"

"No."

"Then what do you want?" I am generally not in a good mood when I'm rudely woken up during a good dream.

Tails plopped the plate of pancakes on my bedside table and smiled, "Ta-da!"

I stared at the breakfast for a moment. "Was it really necessary to wake me up to tell me you finally know how to cook bacon properly?" I stood up and stretched. Might as well get up now. I wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon.

Tails' face fell, "Sonic, did you forget again?"

"Forget what?" I reached down to touch my toes and yawned.

Tails looked down at his feet, "Never mind. It's nothing. Sorry to wake you." He walked out of the room without another word.

I know my brother. And when he looks down at his feet, he's upset or shy. Well, I could cross out the shy, so what did I forget? My mind started to go through a mental checklist.

I took out the trash.

I stayed out of the kitchen.

I delivered the mail to the post office (Tails still used paper catalogs. Don't ask why.)

I got the groceries.

Then what was I forgetting?

Eventually, I gave up the riddle and wandered down stairs. Tails must have been really upset with me because he was already in his workshop, pounding away with his tools even louder than usual. I had brought down the plate of pancakes and began to eat them at the table. My eyes wandered the room, a little bored. Usually, Tails and I ate together which made conversations. Eating alone is… well, lonely.

Without really thinking, my eyes fell on the wall calendar. The current day was circled with a big red marker. I squinted to read the words: _Brother's Anniver-_ _**Chaos.**_

I banged my head on the table. I was an idiot. What kind of brother forgets their own anniversary? Apparently, this one. You might as well give me, 'Worst Brother of the Year Award' right now.

You'd think that I would actually remember one of these years, but NO. My brain will only hold to the horrible days of my life, none of the best days. UGH.

Okay, I had to make this up to Tails.

Of course, I had no ideas on how to do that. I was brother stew.

When in doubt, see Amy. I ran into the workshop and called to Tails, "Hey, I'm going out. Need anything?"

Tails gave me an 'are-you-serious' look and nodded in acknowledgement.

Yep. Brother stew.

I zipped over to Amy's and knocked on the door. Cream answered and smiled up at me, "Hello, Mr. Sonic. How has Tails and your anniversary been?"

Leave it to the rabbit to remember a date that I can't.

"Um… Well, that's why I'm here. Is Amy home?"

Cream nodded cheerfully and spoke to Cheese, "Cheese, would you please get Miss Amy?" She opened the door the rest of the way, "Why don't you come inside? I made muffins this morning with my Mother. Would you like to have one? They're blueberry."

This child makes the King of the Kingdom of Acorn look rude. Cream offered me a seat as she went to grab her plate of muffins. Vanilla must have been out on errands because she didn't appear during the visit.

After two muffins and a cup of orange juice, Amy finally joined us. "Sorry, I was cleaning." She plopped down next to me and smiled, "Sonic, I'm so happy you dropped by. Where were you yesterday?"

I shrugged, "Tails needed help in the workshop and wanted me to do some errands. Speaking of Tails… I need some advice."

"What kind of advice?"

"Um… Well, I may have sort of forgotten something very important today." I explained the situation then buried my face in my hands, embarrassed.

Amy reacted better than I thought she would. Instead of pulling out her hammer yelling at me, she only yelled at me, "SONIC HEDGEHOG, HOW DO YOU FORGET SOMETHING LIKE THAT?"

"I don't know! I'm an idiot, I know! Now how did I fix it?"

Cream looked a tad bit frightened by Amy's outburst and ducked into the kitchen for safety. Amy just stared at me before replying, "Sonic, you don't just FIX something like this. It's completely unforgivable."

"I forget every year, Amy."

"Then what's different about this year?"

"I usually figure it out before the kid wakes up and then I rush to prepare something. Don't think he noticed too much."

Amy didn't reply, but shook her head ashamed of me. I was a little ashamed of myself as well.

Fortunately for me, Amy helped come up with a way to try and make it up to Tails. It wasn't the best plan, but hey- it was a plan.

* * *

Three hours later, I zipped back into the workshop with a huge smile on my face. "Hey, bro. Wanna go on a run?"

Tails hammered a piece of metal especially hard, making a large ring. "I'm a little busy, Sonic." he said coldly, motioning to the chunk of steel on the table. "Frank asked me to fix this by Monday, and I completely forgot about it."

I looked at the shapeless object with a suspicious eyebrow, "What is it?"

"A car jack."

My mind looked at the twisted object and came up with a question mark. "How the heck did it get like that?"

"Long story short: he drove over it."

"With what? A tractor?" Then I shook my head and got back on track. Time for Plan B.

I waited until Tails had put down his tools and scooped him up in my arms, zipping out of the workshop and down the street at top speed.

"S-s-s-sonic!" shouted Tails, his cheeks flapping in the rushing wind. "P-p-pu-put m-m-me d-d-dow-down!"

"No can do, little bro! We've got places to be!" I replied cheerfully. I think Tails tried to say something else, but I was gaining speed too quickly for him to form anything I could understand.

I zoomed out of the suburbs, through the city streets of uptown Station Square, and out of town, the world a blur as I ran from one small town to the next. I briefly considered running through Tails' old town for the quickest route to our destination, but decided against it and went around. Finally, we made it to the forest, stopping at a very familiar rock formation that I still remembered after all these years.

I set Tails down; he took a minute to orient himself then stared up at me, frustrated.

"What… the _heck…_ was _that_ for?" he said angrily, brushing himself off and grimacing.

"Take a look around, bro," I said, grinning. "Look familiar?"

"All I see is a bunch of trees and rocks. What are we doing here?"

"Come on," I said, taking his hand and leading him over to the cave opening.

"Sonic, where-?" His question cut off suddenly and his eyes grew big.

On the ground was a simple blanket with a plate of chili dogs in the center. There was also a cake, and a basket of blueberries. To the side was a box wrapped in red wrapping paper.

I grinned sheepishly as Tails eyes flickered back and forth between the food and the gift. "Um… Surprise?"

My stomach was so knotted up that I was afraid it might explode. Tails didn't look happy or surprised. Oh Chaos, I messed up again. I am the worst brother alive. Time to get on my knees and beg for mercy.

Before I could, a sudden ball of yellow fur pounced on me and I almost fell over as Tails gave me one of the tightest hugs in history.

I grinned. Never mind. I'm good. But… "Tails-... I. _Can't. Breath..._ "

Tails laughed. "Serves you right for forgetting."

"I- sorry- _air…_ _ **please**_!"

He released and gave a playful push. "Now about that cake."

I rolled my eyes and gasped in the much needed oxygen. "How about dinner first, then dessert?"

"You're no fun," Tails put on his pouty face, but couldn't help let a few giggles slip out.

* * *

"I still can't believe you forgot," Tails popped a blueberry in his mouth as he leaned back against the side of the cave.

I buried my face in my hands, "Again, I. _Am_. _**Sorry**_. How many times do I have to apologize?"

"Until you don't forget." He threw a blueberry at me and I rolled my eyes. "But still, good comeback. You even remembered the blueberries."

"Hey, I know my food."

"But you don't know your dates?"

" _Sorry!_ Now knock it off!" I threw the blueberry back at him.

Tails swished his namesakes around and gave a smile, "Or what?"

"Or…" I patted the red box on my lap, "I won't give you your present."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

Tails held up his hands in surrender. "But only for the rest of the day."

" _Fine."_

I handed him the box and grinned, "Happy Brother's Anniversary, Miles."

He ripped the paper off the box and held up the model helicopter kit. Tails just stared at it for a moment before throwing his arms around me in another hug (this one didn't steal my oxygen away, thank Chaos).

"Glad you liked it. Thought it would be a good replacement to the one I sort of broke here." I gestured around at cave with a small chuckle.

Tails rested his chin on his knees, "Actually, I still have that model."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You do? But-"

"It was one of the first things we did together. And even if it isn't perfect," He looked up at me and grinned, "It makes me think of you. My big brother." Tails hugged me again, and I gently put my arms around him, my emotions too heavy to speak.

Neither of us moved and my thoughts drifted off. Miles was probably the best/ worst decision of my life. He helped me find another reason to fight Robotnik, and it wasn't for revenge or justice or whatever I called it. He also provided a balance to my life- I wasn't fighting 24/7 like I had for the first two years in the 'war' against Robotnik. But he also provided an edge over me. If Robotnik nabbed him, not only was the mad man in trouble, but Tails was in danger. Like, life-threatening danger. Never a good idea to get your brother in life-threatening danger.

The soft sound of snoring snapped me to reality. Tails was asleep, cuddled against me. I couldn't help but smile. He looked like when I had found him; a little kid in need of a loving family.

Did I really give him that? I mean, I sure wasn't around all the time… and I was spending less and less time at home as I got older.

Tails mumbled something in his sleep and cuddled closer. I smiled and ruffled the top of his head. The sun had gone down and it was late. "Alright, bedtime for you." I scooped him up, tossed the present in his arms and sped towards home.

It was actually rather funny when Tails didn't wake up until I was tucking him into his bed. "Sonic? How did-?"

"You fell asleep. And you should go back to sleep." I ruffled his hair and grinned. "Good night."

"Wait!" Tails pushed the blankets off and reached under his bed. He pulled out a small box, wrapped in paper, and then handed it to me, "This is your gift."

I smiled and gently shook the box, "Wonder what it could be…" I pulled the paper away and opened the package to find my communicator (nice and shiny and new looking).

Tails stifled a yawn and fought his heavy eyelids. "I thought you could use an upgrade…"

I gently hugged him and ruffled his hair, "Thanks, bro."

"No-*yawn*-problem. ...Can we go to bed now?"

"Definitely," I tucked Tails in again and turned to the doors.

"Sonic?"

I paused, "Yeah?"

"Why did you drag us all the way out there? We could have just had the party here."

For a moment, I didn't speak. I walked over and sat down on the bedside and thought for a moment, "Well… right after we became brothers, I promised you something. Do you remember what it was?"

"Um…" he scrunched up his face in confusion, then cleared, "You promised you'd never hurt me."

"Yep," I nodded slowly, "And I'm not going to break that promise now, or ever."

Tails smiled and pulled the covers up. "You didn't need to do that. I get that you're busy."

"Never too busy for my little bro," I stood up and headed to the door, " 'Night, Miles."

"Goodnight… Maurice."

Despite myself, I winced slightly. I really hated when he called me that. Lucky for me, Tails was too busy snoring to notice.

"Love ya too, bro."

 **Awwwnn… I love brother fluff.**

 _ **Thank you, for melting my heart. Transplants are expensive, you know.**_

 **As mentioned earlier, this chapter references 'Miles from Home' quite a bit. We have Frank mentioned, the cave, and a helicopter. Fun!**

 **Next time… OH CHAOS I CAN'T WAIT.**

 **Review please!**


	30. Biker's and Striker's

**AHHHH! WE'RE FINALLY HERE!**

 **Well sort of… Whatever, I'm counting it. Reviews first then we can move on.**

 **ultimateCCC: I haven't, but Halo has. It sounds interesting, but…**

 **StarlightSparks: Awwn… you're nice. I'm glad you enjoy Sonic's personality. Sonic is rather withdrawn, and Halo and I have tried to keep that mysterious personality.**

 **MeowthKitty: Yay! Cuteness!**

 **Autumn: Egh, not good. Sorry you didn't feel well. BROTHERLY.**

 **SonicBoomFan4000: Hi! Thanks, I really enjoyed 'Miles from Home' and glad you enjoyed it. I'll have to look at yours sometime (if I get the time…). YES. Someone read 'Hedgehog or Tails'! You have made me happy! I'm actually planning on adding onto that thing with more parodies off comedy sketches. Oh, I can't wait to see yours. I'm glad you've read part of this- hope you finish it. BROTHER RELATIONS. LOVE THEM.**

 **Agent BM: THANKS!**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Depends on your definition of 'heart-wrenching'.**

 **Quantum27: Sorry. It's going to get longer. And we're all busy in life.**

 **karygarcia21: (;**

 **Iamsoexcitedforthisnextchapterandcan'tbelieveit'shereandIwanttoscreaminhappinessandjoyand- (*Deep Breath*) ACTION!**

Sofia's POV:

When I got to my apartment, I passed out on the couch. My mind was exhausted and I felt as if it was about to implode from the new overload of information. So I decided to forget about the situation for a second and sleep.

My mind was too numb and too freaked out to do anything else, so don't judge me.

Waking up was difficult. Getting out of bed was even harder. My breakfast was simple and quick. I had places to be.

I threw on a clean dress and called my boss. When she didn't answer I left a message on the answering machine, while pulling on my boots and coat, "Hey, Boss! It's Sofia. Something's come up and I'm afraid that I have to leave town. I'm really sorry, but the situation is very important. Thank you for the experience, and please send my last paycheck to my apartment by the end of today. I'll be leaving town very soon. Thank you very much and have a great day."

My phone snapped shut and I threw it in my purse. I locked the door and hurried down the elevator to my bike. With the helmet strapped on tight, I whirled out onto the street. It was time to do something I should have done two months ago.

* * *

I parked my bike on the street, and then locked it with four bike chains. One was a word combination, another was a number, one was auditorial and the last was a simple lock and key. One could never be too careful.

Two guys to my left watched, their faces sinking slightly. I glared at them and pulled out my gun. They were down the street before you could say, 'hedgehog'. To the right, sat a woman wrapped in a thin shawl. She was hunched over with a tin cup in her hand, shaking slightly.

After a brief hesitation, I slipped out a few coins and dropped them in. She didn't even look up but quickly pocketed the money then hobbled down the street, probably to the nearest drug store.

I sighed and began to walk down the dirty street. It wasn't as bad as Westopolis, but that didn't mean much. Trash still lined the gutters, the smell of smoke was heavy and dozens of shady people hung out in the alleys. My grip tightened on my purse and gun.

I hated places like these. It was so depressing and creepy to see how low some people had sunk in life. The thought of Manic spending the past six years in a dump like this gave me shivers.

My eyes scanned the store shop signs, searching for anything with the word, 'Strike'. If these guys were as dumb as before, then it wouldn't be too difficult to find. I actually got farther than the last time I walked into a gang territory. No one tried to pickpocket from me for half a mile.

Unlike last time, it wasn't a kid who tried to mug me. It was a biker gang. And this time, they were actually armed. You can imagine their surprise as I stepped aside and hit the leader with my purse. He flew off the bike and skidded onto the ground where he came face to face with the barrel of my gun. I almost felt bad for him. _Almost._

Three minutes later, his girlfriend kindly directed me to _Lucky Strike_ pawn shop. Then she and her friends got the heck out of dodge. Or Dodger. I'm beginning to like this nickname.

The bell jingled when I walked in, alerting the cashier. This cashier was a little more friendly than the last one. The fox asked if I was looking for anything and if he could help me. I politely declined and looked around the shop for anything useful.

Last time I went in guns blazing, I had to deal with an uncomfortable situation. I really did not like holding a gun to someone; unless they were trying to harm me or my property (then they're going down). I wasn't that kind of person. This time, I decided to do things a little differently. I was going to go in smart. First, figure out if Manic is even here. Then I'd try to ask politely to see him. And if they weren't willing to cooperate… then I'd pull out the gun.

After combing the whole store (everything was not very useful or in good condition), I finally found a faded book of ancient runes, including some of the symbols from Angel Island.

What? I'm a history geek.

The book cost only ten dollars, which I willingly handed over. The fox rung up the purchase and handed me the bag. "Here's your stuff, lady."

I smiled and nodded thanks, then left. Might as well get used to the layout of the store before I try anything. This was going to be a pain and test my patience.

The next day, I went to the same part of town. No one tried to pickpocket me this time. I walked in again to find a different man behind the register. Inwardly, I groaned. I was hoping Manic would just be at the register, and then I wouldn't have to do this. I could just kidnap him and pound some sense into him in private that way.

I didn't buy anything this time, but asked to see their jewelry selection. While looking through, I casually asked if a green hedgehog still worked in the establishment.

The rabbit's ears went flat against his head, "Who's askin'?"

"I just remember a green hedgehog working in here about two months ago. He, um, helped me pick out a gift for my boyfriend and I wanted to thank him for it." I fingered a gold locket, "This is pretty."

I guess he bought the bait. "Uh… he's busy. But I'll let him know."

"Thank you." The locket fell back onto the counter, "I need to think about it. I'll be back tomorrow."

Rabbit boy nodded distractedly as I left the shop again.

The next day, the auburn fox was back again. He looked worse than the last time I saw him. His hair wasn't brushed and he looked as if he hadn't slept in days. No wonder he didn't notice me 'til I was up at the counter.

"Yeah? Can I help you?"

"I think you can. I'm looking for someone."

He took in my outfit (purple skirt and white blouse- one of my classier ensembles, if I do say so myself) and raised an eyebrow. "I know a good plumber on 24th street."

"No, I'm looking for someone who works at this establishment."

Now that got his attention. "Um… well, I don't know everyone here, so maybe-"

"Then let me narrow it down for you. My name is Dodger. I'm looking for Maniac."

The color drained out of his face. "... _Ferrell!_ " He turned around and ran into the back. "Dodger's out front!"

" _ **WHAT?**_ " Some other voice yelled in shock. The back seemed to suddenly erupt with noise and I heard doors open and slam shut while several voices jumbled together, unable to be heard clearly.

A sudden, _**"SHUT UP!"**_ left a dead silence.

The next thing I heard was whispering and the rustle of paper.

I crossed my arms and stared at the door. After a few minutes, I finally lost my patience, "It's not polite to leave a lady waiting!"

The whispering stopped. The fox poked his head back out and gave a nervous laugh, "Um… yeah. One minute."

"You had a minute. Move." I walked around the counter and marched into the back room, trying to calm my pounding heart. Act tough, and they'll believe it. Show no weakness.

Only three people were in the back room, at least right now. I suspected that there had been more, but had left as soon as the fox had cried warning.

Not counting the blundering fox, a large insect-looking creature stood in the center of the room. He wore a large trench coat and was whispering to a frantic looking echidna with short, spiky red dreads tied back with a bandana, who appeared to be on the verge of panic. (This would make

Were these boys really that scared of little ol' me? Correction: how did these boys know about little ol' me? That snitch back in Westopolis must have ratted me out. If Manic was hiding in the back room, I was going to kill him.

The man hushed the dog and turned his attention to me, "Good afternoon...Dodger." He looked a tad nervous, but his gaze was steady and even. I suspected he was used to people threatening his gang members. Obviously he was the man in charge.

I nodded a greeting, but decided to cut straight to the point. "Where's Maniac?"

The fox stepped around me and joined the other two, as if seeking shelter, "Farrell, she's not going to-"

Farrell held up his hand and silenced the fox, "Curtis, let me handle this."

The now designated, 'Curtis' closed his mouth and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"He's not here," Farrell finally replied to my question.

"Right… and I'm Mina Mongoose." I took slow steps around the room, glancing behind furniture and down halls, "I know for a fact that he's a Striker and I know that he's in Station Square."

"That is all true, but he's not _here._ " Farrell emphasized the point and motioned around the run down shop.

Okay, I'd buy that. "Will he be by anytime soon?"

Curtis rocked back and forth on his feet, "We're not exactly sure when he'll be back." Then is the mumble he added, "Or if he'll be back."

"What did you say?"

Farrell interrupted again, "Maniac is a little… tied up at the moment. We're not exactly sure where he is or when he'll come back. Perhaps if you give me a way to contact you, we can let you know when he'll be back."

Oh no. I was not falling for that con. "I'm not leaving until I see Maniac. I have some unfinished business with him."

Curtis suddenly surged forward a few steps, "Whatever Maniac owes you, I'll pay you it! Just name your price!"

I raised an eyebrow, "I didn't ask for a fox. I'm asking for a _hedgehog_. So unless you're Maniac in a very, very, good disguise… _back off._ "

"Look lady, Maniac's missing and if you want your money then you're just going to wait, kay? Or we could pay you right now and all your problems are solved! Easy as that!"

"Wait…" I said, trying to process this. Manic was missing… This was _just_ like him, going missing right when I was about to find him.

"Whaddaya _mean_ he's missing?" I shouted.

"He's _missing!_ Gone with the wind! Whaddaya think I mean?" Curtis was yanked back by Farrell who gave him a look that clearly told him to shut it.

The boss rubbed his hands together nervously, "What Curtis says is unfortunately true. Maniac has been missing for a week now. Not sure when or if he'll be back to pay ya. How much does he owe you? We look out for our kind."

My mind went sort of numb. "You can't pay me back," I replied softly.

"Sure we can. How much does he owe you?"

"A lifetime's worth."

No one spoke for a minute. A soft knock came from the back and in popped the Rabbit from the previous day, "Uh, Farrell. I was wondering if…" he trailed off when he saw me. "Am I interrupting?"

"No, Ears. We were just telling _Dodger_ that Maniac isn't here." Curtis emphasized the name with a raised eyebrow.

'Ears', apparently, glanced at me again, "Well, she doesn't look so tough. This gal dodged bullets?"

I smiled. It never reached my eyes. "You want me to prove it, bunny boy?"

He grinned, "Well, someone's feisty."

I raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Ears winked at me and I clenched my fists. Just who did this idiot think he was?

Farrell motioned for the rabbit to back off, then continued the conversation, "Are you sure we can't just give you the money?"

"Positive."

This was turning into a very awkward situation. Apparently, Manic was missing, there's a rabbit who was flirting with me ( _what the heck?)_ , a quiet echidna in the background, a determined boss, and a flustered fox.

And just like every other awkward situation, there was that awkward silence that follows. Everyone shifted around nervously, looking at the ceiling and floor as they resisted eye contact. Mouths opened as if to speak, but quickly closed and hands fell back to their previous positions.

I fingered my purse and dug through it, trying to find a lifesaver. What? I was nervous and sometimes you need to think while eating candy. I found a grape one and popped it into my mouth, turning my thoughts over in my head.

Obviously, these guys were not telling me everything. Yes, Manic was missing, I could tell that much. But no one would give me the specifics. That either meant they were twisting the truth, or something very, very, bad had happened.

Finally, I spoke, "Do you know when he might be back? Like an estimated time?"

Curtis shrugged, "We have no idea. We're still trying to get a lead…" his voice trailed off and he seemed to go a shade paler. "I mean, I'm sure he's somewhere around town. We'll let you know when he's back. Do you have any contact information we could use?"

No way was I giving a cell phone number to a gang. "How about I just stay here for a few hours and see if he gets back? If not today, I'll be back tomorrow."

Farrell reluctantly agreed, but the quiet echidna finally spoke up, "Look, Miss Dodger. I'm going to be blunt with you here, if I may. I'm sorry, but it's not like he's just going to walk in here out of the blue and-"

"CURTIS! YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED!"

The echidna and Ears shared a startled look and Curtis jumped in shock as a green hedgehog burst into the room, this huge, goofy grin on his face. His bright blue eyes shone beneath the shock of the scruffy, way-too-long green bangs that fell in his face. His left ear was pierced with two gold hoops and on his wrists were black cuffs with long, sharp white spikes. The ratty dark red vest he wore over a black and purple t-shirt shockingly looked nice in comparison to his torn gray cargo pants with a black chain reaching from his front pocket to his back with a red fanny pack of all things slung to the side of his hip. A pair of drumsticks stuck out from his back pocket; his dark red sneakers at first glance looked like he had acquired them from a dumpster; Chaos, _all_ his clothes looked that way. But that joking grin, the bright blue blue eyes I used to know...

It didn't take two seconds for his identity to click in my mind. My eyes narrowed.

After everyone got over their shook, Curtis began to glance back and forth between myself and Manic. He nervously walked over and took the hedgehog by the arm and dragged him over to the corner and began to whisper to him frantically.

Manic seemed to notice me for the first time and very loudly asked, "Who's the chick? Another one of Ear's girlfriend?"

Curtis frantically hushed him and began to whisper again. My eyes narrowed even more.

This was going to be very interesting.

 **Cliffhangers! Don't you love/hate them?**

 _ **PS- If you want to get a visual image of our version of Manic, search 'deviantart haloessence manic' and click on the first thing that pops up. A picture's worth a thousand words, after all.**_

 **That's certainly true. And just a side comment... I felt the flow of this chapter was kind of awkward. What do y'all think?**

 **Manic is going to get killed by his sister next chapter, and we all know it. XD XD XD**

 **Please review!**


	31. Family Reunion

**Halo and I did it again… We tested the triplets in the Pottermore House Quiz! Results were Sonic: Gryffindor (Well, duh) Sonia: Hufflepuff (she's very kind and loyal, but that doesn't mean you should mess with her) and Manic: Ravenclaw (actually, we had to think about this for a second and eventually it made sense. Ravenclaw is for the weird, and you can't get much weirder than Manic).**

 **Remember Halo and my mutual friend who we refer to as Tintin? We have previously mentioned that she is the 'Sonic' in our friend group? Well, she's a Gryffindor. Halo (our 'Manic') is a Ravenclaw. I (the 'Sonia') am a Hufflepuff.**

 **WHAT THE CHAOS IS GOING ON?**

 **Reviews!**

 _ **[NOTE: Halo has passed out from the anticipation of this chapter and is thus unable to contribute her responses to reviews. However, Era is perfectly willing to act in her place. She thanks you for understanding.]**_

 **ultimateCCC: You'll find out… Soon. Very soon.**

 **StarlightSparks: I'm super excited too! AAAHHHHHH! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Autumn: No promises. Sonia is pretty ticked.**

 **Guest: Hope this was soon enough for you.**

 **MeowthKitty: *hides* I'M SORRY BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO LONG. DON'T KILL ME PLEASE. Here's the update to the cliffhanger!**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Yeah, I do too. Cliffhangers are fun, but you want to kill them at the same time.**

 **Quantum27: I think you have summed it up the best. It is time to wreak havoc upon Manic!**

 **Okay, now we're here. Now I can properly scream. YAY! WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE!**

Matthew's POV:

Okay, so I don't know who the heck this girl is, what she was doing here, or what she wanted, but for some reason that has yet to be revealed to me she looked like she wanted to tear my head off.

Normally, strange girls in the shop means Ears got himself a new girlfriend for the weekend, but I had a feeling that wasn't the case this time, mostly because everyone was terrified of her. Oh, and they were kinda looking at me like I had risen from the dead?

Going out on a limb here, but I think I might have missed something.

When I walked in originally, I was expecting a warm welcome back from Farrell and Curtis, and maybe a slap on the back from the other guys, who were probably wondering what in Mobius had happened after I disappeared. What I _got_ was Farrell looking at the ceiling and mouthing something that I guessed was a prayer. Something told me it wasn't in gratitude of my safe return. Curtis walked over and yanked me into a corner for no apparent reason.

"Matthews, I'm glad you're okay, I really am, but of all the times to come back, you choose the worst time possible." His voice was low and rushed- something was wrong.

"Why, what's going on?" I asked.

"Look over there." His head jerked towards the others and I finally saw the girl for the first time.

Pink hedgehog, light-purple skirt, white blouse and leggings, purple shoes, cutesy headband, and a surprisingly conservative amount of makeup. Really pretty, but in a classy, not trashy sort of way. Looked sort of out of place in the gang's hangout. Normal, nice girls didn't usually stop by here. Purple eyes were glaring at me with a look that seemed to kill.

And for the third time in my life, I couldn't get a read on her. Okaaay…

"Who's the chick? Another one of Ear's girlfriends?"

Curtis's eyes grew large and he motioned for me to talk softer. "Her name is _Dodger._ Don't you… don't you know her?"

"Uh…" I looked back at the gal and shook my head, "Don't think so. Why?"

"She's been looking for you. Apparently you owe her money."

So I did miss something. A lot of somethings.

I jerked my thumb at the girl, "Look, I have no idea who she is, and I sure as heck don't owe her any money."

Curtis shrugged. "Well, that's what she's saying."

"Then she's wrong." I motioned at him and Ears, "So how about you go take care of her. I've had a long week and I'm still getting over those drugs the demon-spawn gave me."

'Dodger' apparently, finally spoke, "You were on _drugs?_ " Her voice had a slight southern tinge to it, which caught me a little off guard at first. It wasn't every day a country girl came to the big city and fell into the company of thieves. But what really got my attention was how very, very angry she seemed at the thought. What's her problem?

"Uh, no." I said. "I was drug _ged_. There is a difference. One is you being stupid and one is you being forced. Fun stuff, I assure you."

Her expression relaxed slightly. "Well, at least you're not a _complete_ idiot."

"Hey!" Okay, just who did this girl think she was? I didn't even know her and already she's coming at me on a personal level!

"And why are you wearing clothes that look like you got them from the dumpster?" she demanded. Oh, so little miss Classy Country Cornflake wasn't done yet? Thought she was better than me? I felt my temper rising, but took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

"Okay, number one, _rude,_ " I said with some annoyance. "And number two, so what if I did? You ain't the one wearing 'em!"

Dodger just looked at me, "You got your clothes from the dumpster. Wow."

"No, sheesh. I got them off a homeless guy." Why was I telling her this? _Matthews, shut up!_

" _You_ _ **mugged**_ _someone?_ " she shrieked so loud that the guys winced.

My temper was very close to breaking. Never talk about mugging. It's evil on a whole different level (Locke. Let's just leave it at that). " _ **No.**_ I _don't_ mug." I replied through gritted teeth, "I _bought_ them from the dude. He had them in a shopping cart. I like what I wear, and if you've got a problem with that, _ask me if I care._ Are we done?"

Dodger shook her head and stamped her foot. "No, we are not! Do you seriously not recognize me?"

"Nope, and I don't think I'm going to. Maybe you could give me a hint. Y'know, since I'm not a _complete idiot_." I shrugged. "Curtis, why did you let her in? Better question, why is she still here?"

Curtis was looking back and forth between the two of us with a helpless expression on his face, "She's Dodger. She's like Rouge. You _don't cross her._ "

Another Rouge? No offense to this Dodger, but she did NOT look anything like a 'Rouge' type. I mean, at first glance, she actually looked cute, not… She looked honest! And nice! Well, obviously she had a mean streak, but she seemed like the person you'd see volunteering at a food bank or collecting for some hippy-dippy, "Save the Pigeons" charity.

Then again, I couldn't get much of a read on her, so who am I to judge? And her name…

"Why Dodger?"

"She dodged bullets."

 _That_ got my attention. "She… _what?_ "

Ears spoke up, "Straight from the Westopolis location. She dodged ten bullets and took out two guards with a metal rod, then pulled a gun on Philip."

Dodger looked up at the ceiling as if wondering how she got in this mess. "Alright, I'm done." She crossed her arms and glared at me, "Think hard, _**Manic**_ **.** Was there anybody you left _all alone_ six years ago? Someone you used to be _really_ close with?"

I tilted my head a little confused and began to think. Well, let's see… Six years ago, I was ten and back with Uncle Chuck and- _**HOLY FRIKKIN CHAOS.**_

I felt the color drain from my face; I attempted to speak, but all that came out was a stutter. I was backing away slowly, startled when my back hit the wall. "You- I- Uh- Wha?"

The other Strikers looked very, very confused. Curtis finally spoke up, "You mean, Maniac."

"No, I mean _Manic_. Manic. Charles. _Hedgehog._ " She walked right up to me and glared, her scarily familiar purple eyes piercing my very soul. "Isn't that right, _Manic?_ "

All eyes turned to me as my shock slowly dissolved and my panic rose. No one moved.

"I'm out!" I attempted to turn and run, but 'Dodger' grabbed my ear and yanked me back. She then proceeded to whack me repeatedly with her purse while yelling at the top of her lungs.

"MANICHEDGEHOGYOULEAVEMEFORSIXYEARSALLALONEDOYOUKNOWWHATIWENTTHROUGHDOYOUKNOWWHAT'SHAPPENEDTOME?"

"OW! OW! SONIA, STOP IT! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! SHEESH, NOT IN FRONT OF THE GUYS! OW!"

"ISHOULD'VEKNOWNYOU'VEBEENLIVINGLIKEACRIMINALYOUNEVERCOULDSTAYOUTOFTROUBLECOULDYOUANDNOWLOOKWHEREYOU'VEGOTTENYOURSELFYOU'REAPUNKANDASLOB-"

"NOT THE FACE! NOT THE FACE!"

Over to the side, all the Strikers watched with shocked expressions on their faces as I tried to dodge the blows from her very painful purse. Then I heard Curtis speak up.

"This is pathetic."

Tony replied, "This is hilarious."

Ears was the last one to speak. "This is _**hot**_."

Sonia froze with her purse over her head and looked over at him with a murderous look in her eyes. I straightened up and stared at him.

"Dude. That's my sister."

"Manic. Shut up." said Sonia through gritted teeth.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, hold up- you have a _sister?_ " asked Curtis incredulously.

Sonia turned to me once more, arms akimbo. "You didn't tell them about me?"

I held up my hands in defense, "Look, Sonia, don't take it personally. I barely even mentioned Uncle Chuck."

"You told them about Uncle Chuck and not about _me?_ Your own _sister?_ "

She probably would've started hitting me again if Tony hadn't held up his hand, "Um… so just wondering, like, who's older?... Just wondering if you were being beat up by your big sister or your little one."

"Older. By two and half minutes." I groaned and put my face in my hands.

Curtis stared, his mouth gaping wide open. "You're a _twin?_ And you never even mentioned it?"

Sonia cut in again, "Technically, we're triplets. But that's another story that isn't _quite_ as important at the moment."

" _Shut up, Sonia._ " I said, clenching my fists. We were _not_ bringing up Maurice. Not now, not ever.

"Um," Ears said, looking confused, "but she wants to kill you."

Sonia rolled her eyes, "Did I say that?"

"...Yes?"

"I said he owes me money. Pay attention, smartie."

My eyes widened. Unbelieveable. "Seriously? _Ten bucks?_ That's all you're here for?"

" _No,_ I came to see if you were alive!"

I took her by the arm and led her towards the door, "Well, mission accomplished, sis! Congratulations, you know I'm alive! Thanks for coming, see you later, don't forget to write, BYE!"

I was about to push her out the door when she grabbed me by the arm and judo flipped me to the ground. I landed on my back with a grunt and tried to stand back up, but found her foot pinning me to the ground with a shocking amount of force. Pain shot through my chest.

"...Where did you learn that?" I asked between winces.

"I've had a _lot_ of free time in the last six years. You know… being _all alone_ with all our _friends_ in the neighborhood, and our absolutely _delightful_ Uncle."

I grunted, trying to get up and failing miserably. "He _liked_ you. You're fine."

"The man drove me to vegetarianism, Manic."

"... I am _so_ sorry."

Curtis stepped forward, "I'm sorry… what? Matthews, the heck is going on here?"

"Manic, can we please continue this in _private?_ " hissed Sonia.

I looked at her with an annoyed expression, "I'm kind of on the floor, so…"

She hoisted me up by the ear without a word, then dragged me out of the back room and into the front of the store.

So yeah.

I missed a LOT.

XXX

"What are you doing here, exactly?" I finally managed to ask. It had been at least ten minutes since Sonia had dragged me up front and she had done nothing but chew me out the entire time, going on and on about my 'life choices' and 'nonexistent morals' (I have morals… I just don't think they matched up exactly with hers).

After a while, though, Sonia seemed to have gotten most of her frustration out. She took a calming breath and seemed to gather her thoughts. "Okay… So here's the deal, Manic. I'm here to get you."

Immediately, I gripped the counter. Oh, no. This was _exactly_ what I had been afraid of. "I'm NOT going back to Uncle Chuck's and NOTHING you can say will change my-"

"Relax. We're not going back." She fingered her purse strap. "We're going to do something a little more important."

I shook my head. This had been a strange past week and everything was moving too fast for me to keep up with it all. "What?"

She glanced back at the Strikers, who were obviously eavesdropping. "I'll tell you later. Grab your stuff, we're leaving."

"Wait, what? Now?"

" _Now._ "

Before Sonia could even take a step, I held up my hands to stop her, "Okay, time out. Sis, I'm really happy to see you. Really, I am. But I can't just _leave_. Can't blame you 'cuz you probably didn't know, but that's just not how a gang works."

An accusatory finger pointed at me, "We'll talk about your _gang_ activity later, brother dearest. But for now- We. Are. _Leaving._ "

"Do you _want_ to get me killed? 'Cuz that's what's gonna happen, Sonia!"

Farrell suddenly 'officially' came into the room and motioned for the others to leave. Curtis stayed behind and stood in the background. Farrell turned to me and gave a smile, "Maniac, you know this… I think you're aces. You're a fine boy, a fine student… One of my best earners. But…" He motioned at the angry girl who was tapping her foot impatiently, "I really don't want to see _this_ one too angry at me, ever. You've been here six years… and I'll be honest, I didn't like it to begin with. You were too young to get involved in this sorta stuff in th' first place. We only brought you in 'cuz we felt sorry for ya, but we kept 'cha cuz you're useful and we like ya a lot. But… now things are a little different."

I couldn't believe my ears. Surely he wasn't serious! "What… what are you saying?"

Curtis stepped forward and handed me my backpack. "What he's saying is… oh, chaos, how do I put this… I guess… try and have a good life or something, Matt. Your sister is offering you something we can't give. And because we care about you… well, to put it bluntly, you're fired."

I blinked. Things were _really_ moving too fast. "Back up, back up… you can't _fire_ me!"

"More like," Farrell said kindly, trying to find the right words, "Letting you go. If you love something you let it go, y'know?"

Curtis smiled and gently punched me in the shoulder. "Dude. Dodger there made a name of herself in the criminal underworld in _three months_ , just to find you. If my sister ever did that for me… well, I'd bail on the Strikers in a minute."

I looked back at Sonia, who motioned for me to follow. I swung my pack on my back and looked at Farrell and Curtis. "Well… you can't fire me. I quit!"

The two grinned at me. Farrell placed his hand on my shoulder. "Never lose your touch, kid."

I smiled weakly and gulped back the lump forming in my throat. "I won't."

Curtis and I shook hands, then he pulled me into a brotherly embrace. "Stay out of trouble, Maniac. I can't always be there to look after ya."

I grinned, "Don't worry… I think she's got it covered."

We parted and I turned to go. I got two steps before Curtis called out, "I want my wallet back!"

I rolled my eyes, "When I see you again, you can get it back… as long as you still have mine."

Curtis held up my borrowed wallet. "Deal."

I turned around and stuck my hands in my jean pockets, following Sonia out of the building and down the sidewalk. Goodbye, Strikers. Goodbye, best place ever.

"Is that some sort of gangster custom? To steal your pal's wallet?" asked Sonia, bemused.

I shrugged, "Nah. Curtis and I just do it to each other. It's kinda our thing." I smiled, fingering the wallet in my pocket sadly.

Sonia looked up at the sky and pursed her lips, probably wondering what she got herself into.

Fortunately for her, I was thinking the same thing.

 **And, we're done! Oh Chaos, this was WAY too much fun.**

 _ **Couldn't have said it better myself, Era. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go scream into my pillow for a while until the nerd chills wear off.**_

 **Review, please!**


	32. Leave of Absence

**We have over 200 reviews… I don't know what to do to celebrate. You guy's are amazing! And don't forget it!**

 **Ugh… This is all of the Feels. You have been warned.**

 **Comments! (and there are a lot. HOLY CHAOS.)**

 **Zosonils: There you are! (; Just kidding, I get that you are busy. Glad you're still reading. *blushes* Halo and I are so happy that you like this. We enjoy it too. Hope you continue to read and enjoy!**

 **KyubiMaster9: Sonia's wrath is unleashed! And here is some more! Um… *begins to hum and laugh nervously***

 **MeowthKitty: Glad you enjoyed it. Here is some more fun and yelling.**

 **SonicBoomFan4000: I can see how that may be confusing… and I can't see how I can help you. The show is probably my second favorite out of the Sonic shows (Sonic X being my favorite. Judge me not) so I would recommend it...if you can handle the voices. And make sure you skip the songs. DO NOT LISTEN TO THOSE. Chaos, the one thing that makes me want to punch the TV. Ops! Sorry for not answering.! Okay, so this is sort of a combination of the TV show, comics, and games. Very confusing. But we decided to make Tails a little older so he and Soni are only about five years apart in age. Hope you like this and get a little less confused. But knowing me, I'll probably get you more confused. Whops.**

 **Quantum27: Can you blame her? Sonia is ticked.**

 **Autumn: Hope this update made your day.**

 **ultamiteCCC: Yep! Only one to go!**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: (; I think it is one of my favorites as well. Cannot tell you how long Halo and I have been planning it. One of the first conversations we ever came up with for this story was, "This is pathetic…". It was great.**

 **StarlightSparks: 1. A lot of chapters… A lot. Less than 100. It's a long story. 2. Halo and I are debating. She wants to do a 2nd Generation Story about their kids (it would only be an introduction to the crew and be about five chapters. Not super in depth and more of a- 'Here's what we set up. Let your imagination run wild'- then a- 'Continuing the story'. I personally want to do a short story about Rouge's past (sort of like Shattered Thorns) and of course both Halo and I want to do some family stories between everyone (collection of one-shots). But no, we are not going to go this big again.**

 **Shapeshifter 14: I am horrid at Shadow's dialogue so… we try and minimize his talking parts and have him be more of an action person. I can't wait for it either. Sonic! Run into them already!**

 **HDDNeptuneFTW: Hi! Yep. Now we just have to wait… But how long? I did? Whops. Sorry about that. (; LOL.**

 _ **Suggested Listening: "Freaking Me Out" by Simple Plan**_ **[Why Halo put this on, makes sense, but I'm sort of annoyed that it curses… You've been warned.]**

 **And before you freak out, yep it's Sonia. Then we have Manic. Then Sonic is back. Promise. Alright, let's go watch these two try and kill each other (just kidding).**

Sonia's POV:

"Since when do you ride a motorcycle?"

"Since I started looking for you."

Manic tilted his head and stared my bike, as if looking at it at a different angle would change it somehow. I rolled my eyes and finished deactivating the locks, sliding into the seat and slipping on my helmet. I tossed Manic the spare motorcycle helmet I had bought the day before.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked, revving up the engine. He didn't do anything at first- probably processing what exactly was going on. But he shrugged, snapped on the helmet, and got on the back of the bike.

"Lead the way, Princess." he said, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. I smiled to myself- if Manic was anything like Knuckles, he was in for the ride of his life. A thank-you gift for being so difficult to find.

I slammed my foot on the gas, jumpstarting the bike forward and rocketing down the street, my tires squealing in protest. Manic's clench around my waist became steadily tighter as we continued to gain speed, but I heard no complaints or requests to slow down.

Suddenly, I had an evil idea. I pulled the bike back into first gear and slowed down just a little bit, letting off the gas while still maintaining a good speed.

"Hold on!" I shouted to Manic.

I cranked the gas to accelerate and brought the front wheel up, gasping for breath as Manic's vise-like grip squeezed the air from my chest. I brought us down from the wheelie, but his crushing embrace never let up.

We made it out of the slums and headed towards my place in the uptown area. I slowed down a bit here since I actually cared whether I got a ticket in this part of town, but we still made it back to my apartment building in good time. I parked the bike and hopped off, removing my helmet and beginning the process of locking up my motorcycle.

"Uh… Manic?" I said. "You gonna get off anytime soon?"

His expression was completely unreadable; he just sat there in silence, staring at nothing.

"That…" he said slowly, his voice shaking. "Was…"

Oh, joy. Here it comes.

" _ **... AWESOME!**_ "

Wait, what?

Manic leapt off the bike, grinning. "I mean… the wheelie! We were going so fast! We could've _died!_ It was _amazing!_ " He was pacing back and forth, jumping from one subject to another. I found it quite amusing.

"And I thought you were gonna be all _boring_ and stuff!" he said. "Can we do it again? Please?"

"Um…" My eyes narrowed slightly, "For the boring comment, _no_. It's nice to know you have such faith in me, little brother." I walked inside the apartment building and up the stairs, Manic following close behind.

We reached my apartment and I unlocked my door and walked inside, Manic trailing behind me. He looked around for a moment, glancing at the furniture. "Huh."

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing, nothing…" said Manic, shaking his head. "It's just that… I dunno, I was expecting frilly pink curtains and mints on the pillows or something… not white walls and a ten dollar couch. I mean, come on, you're the girliest person I've ever known. That's totally up your alley."

"Well, _sorry_ to disappoint you," I said coldly.

"Geez, you don't need to get snippy about it…" he muttered. I chose to ignore that little comment.

"Make yourself at home. I think there might be a game show on TV or something," I headed over to my room, making a mental note of what errands I needed to run before we officially left town. Something had to be done about Manic's clothes and hygiene; that sewer smell was starting to get to me.

Manic… what was I going to do with him? I knew when I set out to find him that he'd be something different than what I remembered from when we were kids, but this… while I knew this was my brother, I could barely recognize him. The Manic I used to know was, to be honest, totally innocent- someone who'd never even think about doing drugs or getting involved in a gang. It hurt to see just how deep into crime he was- sure, he always had that unfortunate habit of swiping things that weren't his, but _that_ had escalated so much it was ridiculous.

But that didn't matter anymore. The sooner we left the city, the sooner he'd ditch the whole criminal thing. Hopefully.

The problem was that I didn't think he even _wanted_ to give up that life. I get that he has friends here, but these "friends" were a pack of shady lowlifes who were responsible for him holding the largest arrest record I'd ever seen. This was for his own good.

I exited my bedroom and headed back into the living room.

"Hey Manic, I-" I was cut off by the sight of Manic quietly sifting through my purse that I had left on the kitchen table.

"Yeah, sis?" he asked, not batting an eye. He just kept going through my stuff like it was the most normal thing in the world to do.

This was bad.

"What are you _doing?_ " I shrieked. He glanced up, pausing his raid of my purse. He thought in silence for a moment.

"Oh!" Manic smacked his forehead with his palm. "You're one of _those_ kinds of people. Sorry, I didn't think you really cared about the whole 'invasion of privacy' thing."

It just got worse.

" _What?"_ I stared in shock for several moments, trying to keep my anger in check. He lived on the streets… He doesn't know better… Just think about- _Nope._ Manic needed my opinion on this. _Now._

"Manic. Charles. Hedgehog. Drop my purse and sit down."

He looked a bit confused, but did as he was told. I went to retrieve my notebook and a pencil from my bedroom and slammed both down in front of him.

" _Confess._ "

"I'm sorry- what?"

"You will write down every little crime you can remember on this piece of paper. When you're done, we are going to have a nice… _talk._ "

Manic rolled his eyes, "When did you turn into Uncle Chuck?"

"I did nothing of the kind."

"Are you kidding me? This is _exactly_ what he used to do! Geez, next you're gonna send me to my room without dinner!"

My blood boiled. "Okay, number one: these are _actual crimes_ , Manic, not a bunch of dumb stunts you pulled in grade school because you were being _you._ " Manic opened his mouth to protest, but I didn't give him time to say a word.

"Number two," I continued. "I am _nothing_ like Uncle Chuck. And if I am, then maybe that's the only way to get through to you. News flash- breaking the law is wrong! But _you_ don't seem to have grasped that just yet! I don't know what else to do!"

Manic stood up so quickly he knocked over the chair. The look of seething revulsion on his face was enough to make me back away.

"Are…" he started slowly. "You… _frikkin'…_ serious."

I couldn't answer, but nodded slowly.

He clenched his fists. "I- You- He- You're just like _him!_ " Manic was almost too angry to form a full sentence. "I don't know what the heck happened to you, Sonia, but-"

I cut him off and snapped my fingers, and pointed at the chair, "Sit. _Down_. _**Now.**_ "

"You bossing me around now? Huh? Just 'cuz I'm different, Sonia, that doesn't make you any better than me- so quit acting like it does!"

"Do you have _any_ idea what I've been through in the last six years? What kind of junk has filled my life?" I exclaimed, standing up to meet his eye level. "When you were there, I stood a chance! When you were there, I could actually smile! Then you up and leave, and my life becomes a living nightmare!"

"Cry me a river, sis."

"I should've known you'd end up like this!" I began pacing the floor, pulling at my hair. "Forget about that confession, I don't need it! I've seen enough from hanging around that stupid gang of yours to know _exactly_ what you've been up to!"

Manic looked ready to explode. "You think it's been easy?" he shouted. "You really think I could've made it on my own? Don't act like you know what you're talking about, Sonia! Being a kid on the streets is _death sentence!_ It's not a fun thing, never knowing where your next meal is coming from or even if you'll eat at all. And freezing on the sidewalk because you have nowhere to sleep is no walk in the park, either. That 'stupid gang' saved my _life_. If it weren't for them, you would've never even found my body. Work on that for a while, huh?"

"You don't know that! You could've been better off without them! _You could've been honest, Manic!_ "

Pretty sure Manic forgot about my abilities, because he tried to make a break for it. Of course I already knew what he was up to a few seconds before it happened. Imagined his surprise when he tried to run right after my hand snatched around his wrist. I then proceeded to yank him back and throw him on the couch.

Manic didn't process what happened until after he was face-first on the old cushions. "Uh…"

"If you think you are going to just run away from me, _again_ ," I hissed, "then you have another thing coming. Last time, I woke up to an empty bunk bed. Did you even _think_ what would happen to me? How I would feel about you being gone? I had already lost Maurice! _Do you think I wanted to lose you too?"_

Think that was when I broke down, unable to take the swirling emotions that had been left alone for the past six years. I tried to fight back the tears, but they rushed to the surface, a hiccupy sob escaping my throat.

Manic sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Please don't cry," he said softly. "I'm really sorry, okay?"

I wanted to stop, but my head wouldn't listen. Hot, sharp tears rolled down my cheeks, each stinging my skin more than the last.

"I get it," said Manic, his voice gentle and slow. "I messed up. Running away was a stupid idea, and it might be the worst thing I ever did. I don't know much about what you've… been through, but from what I can see… it was really bad, huh?"

"You don't know the half of it," I said between hiccoughs. "Uncle Chuck barely noticed that I existed. All those kids that called me names decided that wasn't enough." I wiped away the tears that were still on my cheeks. "They started a game that I liked to call, 'Throw dangerous objects at the Freak.' How do you think I got good enough to dodge _bullets_? It wasn't without practice." My eyes remained glued to the floor and I took a deep breath, "On top of that, Bobby never stopped flirting with me as soon as we hit junior high. That _alone_ gave me the motivation to graduate two years early."

"Woah, woah, woah, back up a minute- did you say flirting?" Manic's expression suddenly became murderous.

"Yes, I did." I said stiffly.

"That's it. When I find that-"

"No, Manic." I said, cutting him off before anything regrettable was said. "We're not even going back to Southtown… or anywhere near it, for that matter." Manic's expression relaxed somewhat. I knew he had been dreading the prospect of going back.

"Well… if we're not heading back to Uncle Chuck's," he said. "Where are we going?"

I took a deep breath. This seemed as good a time as any to break the news to him.

"Maurice is alive."

Manic stared at me for a few moments, blinking. Then he cracked a small smile, "Sis, if you're trying to make a joke, it's not funny."

"I'm not joking."

"Um…" he made some motion with his hands and continued, "Sonia, Uncle Chuck looked. And we _both_ saw that blast. Maurice…" he trailed off for a moment, "Well, you can't bring him back. He's been gone for ten years-"

"Manic! Listen to me!" I threw my hands in the air, "I _saw_ him!"

"Woah, time out! You did?"

"In a vision."

"Oh… never mind."

"Manic! He was older! And Chaos told me himself."

"Okay, hold on one minute." Manic held up a hand, "You want me to believe that our brother- the one that was _shot by bees with lasers_ \- is still alive because you saw him in one of your _visions?_ The ones that are like, impossible to decipher in any sense? All because Chaos- a giant water creature- told you?"

It was my turn to back him up, "Chaos is a what?"

"Oh, that's right. South doesn't get a lot of news. Long story short: Years ago, this giant water creature flooded Station Square and tried to destroy the world. It was later told that it was a form of the god Chaos. Crazy, right?"

Okay then… why not? I vaguely recalled Tikal mentioning something similar, then shook that thought aside. "Anyway, Manic, he really _did_ talk to me."

"How?"

"Well…" I hesitated for a moment. "You know the echidnas?"

I could have sworn I saw Manic physically flinch at the word, but it passed so quickly that I couldn't be sure. "Yeah… I know a little about them."

"Do you know about the emeralds they protect?"

This time, he definitely stiffened. "Yes."

"I met a guardian who came out of one and spoke to me on Chaos's behalf."

"You… _what?_ "

Maybe I should start the explanation over… Unfortunately, Manic didn't seem to want to hear any of it.

"Just simplify it down as much as possible." He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, clearly stressed out. What's his problem?

I thought for a moment. A lightbulb went off. "Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"MANIC."

"Okay, okay, sheesh!"

I tried to recall exactly what Tikal told me, "We are triplets. We have a connection- which was how I knew you were alive. And I know you have…" I hesitated for a moment, " _gifts_ , like my visions. Keep your eyes closed!"

Manic obliged.

"It's hard to explain but… remember what Maurice was like. His personality, his looks, his emotions, anything." I paused. "Now in your mind I want you to pretend he's alive."

"I thought you said he _was_ alive."

"He is, but since you don't believe me, _pretend_." I waited for a few minutes before Manic nodded. "Okay… now lock onto him."

"What?"

"I told you, it's hard to explain. Let your instincts take over."

It took ten minutes. Ten long minutes, of staring at a concentrating hedgehog. Eventually, I wandered into the kitchen and started to make dinner. I hadn't noticed how late it was until then. I was just pulling out a glass measuring cup when Manic's sudden cry of shock startled me. The cup fell on the ground and shattered into a million pieces, but Manic suddenly appeared in the doorway, the shock written on his face as clear as day and any hint anger melted.

"He- I felt… How?" he demanded.

" _That_ ," I threw a broom at him, "is what we are going to find out."

* * *

Before we did that, we had to plan. And pack. Manic looked a little repulsed at the idea of having more stuff than you could fit in that ratty backpack of his, but I like to be prepared. Even if it may be a little overboard.

I pulled out a large suitcase and began to fold up clothes. "I'm going to buy you some new clothes."

Manic crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, "Um… How about I just go down the street to the Goodwill and pull out some shirts from the drop-off bin?"

My eyes narrowed, "No. We'll go to the mall."

"I think I like my plan better. Besides, I'm not allowed in the mall."

"... Why?"

"Funny story, really…" He looked uncomfortable and refused to meet my eye.

"I have time."

"You don't want to know."

"Yes, I do."

"Long story short: I cleaned the floors."

I didn't like the way he said that.

"What do you mean, 'you cleaned the floors'?" I asked.

"I mean I cleaned them. Thoroughly."

"With what?"

"A fountain."

"MANIC!"

Before I could start my lecture, the doorbell rang. A little too eagerly, Manic charged out of my room to the door. "I'll get it!"

"Manic! Get back here!" I threw the shirt I had been folding into the suitcase and followed him to the doorway. When I reached the door, I managed to catch part of his conversation with someone I couldn't see,

"We don't like charities, we don't need car insurance, and you look a little old to be selling cookies. Good day."

Silence. I face-palmed and made a mental note to give Manic a lesson in manners.

A very confused voice that was way too familiar answered back, "I'm sorry, I think I have the wrong apartment. Did Sofia move?"

 _Knuckles._ OH CHAOS.

And to my great horror, Manic glanced back at me, " _Sofia!_ The door's for you! I think it's your landlord!"

I didn't answer but yanked Manic back in the room, shoved him towards the living area, stepped outside and shut the door. I took a deep breath and turned around, facing Knuckles blank expression. We stood in silence for several minutes, my heart pounding.

I finally couldn't take it, "It's not what it looks like, _I swear._ "

Knuckles crossed his arms, an eyebrow raised. "Who in Chaos was that?"

My mind went blank. I tried to answer, but came up empty. Finally, I forced out, "Matt- Matt- Matthews."

"Matt?" His expression hardened into something I couldn't read.

I debated for a moment on telling him the truth on my family, but before I could make up my mind, Knuckles held out something in his hand. My breath caught at the sapphire in his hand, now strung on a gold chain.

"You left this on the island. I took the liberty of taking it to a jeweler. May I...?" He cocked his head in the question and I nodded slowly before turning around.

Gently, he brought the chain around and fastened it, letting it rest on my neck. I fingered the gift, too overwhelmed to speak for a moment. I turned around and smiled, "Knuckles… I..." Words couldn't describe the feeling of joy I felt. No one had ever given me something so meaningful in my entire life.

He smiled, and I was about to thank him when-

"Hey, um, Son- _Sofia_?" Manic poked his head back out and glanced at Knuckles before turning back to me. "Where's the TV remote?"

I bit my lip to refrain from yelling at him, "Next to the radio on the side table."

"Oh… Thanks. Also, your boss called. She wanted to know when you'd be back from our trip."

"I'll call her later, _Matt._ _ **Thanks.**_ " I could barely keep from punching him as Manic ducked back inside. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down when Knuckles snapped me back into reality.

"Trip? What trip?" he asked, confused.

My eyes flew open and I felt the urge to kick myself. I had completely forgotten to tell Knuckles that I was leaving town. "Uh… I'm leaving Station Square."

He looked very alarmed at the idea, "What? When?"

"Probably tomorrow night," I winced at the words. "I was going to tell you- I just-"

"And you're going with… Matt?"

"... Yes." Mentally, I punched and kicked myself. This was _**not**_ going well.

"Where are you going?" Knuckles's voice was completely devoid of emotion.

Give a town. A city. _A state._ _A country!_ _**Anything!**_ "... Roadtrip. There's really no destination at the moment."

Knuckles was silent for a moment, before answering, his voice shaking slightly, "And you didn't think to tell me this?"

"It was all very sudden! I didn't even know when we'd be leaving until about an hour ago."

"But still, you could have called me! Or-or texted, or something!" I could now tell that Knuckles was angry. Very angry.

He is actually very scary when he is angry. Then again, so am I.

"Knuckles, I know you're not happy-"

"Happy is not the word!" he snapped.

I took a deep breath, and tried to clear my thoughts. "Knuckles… I am really sorry I didn't tell you. I was going to call, but so much has happened in the past day that it slipped my mind."

The echidna seemed to calm down slightly and his expression relaxed slightly.

Now I knew he wasn't going to like this next part, "Knuckles… you're a great guy. The best I have ever met."

He scratched the back of his neck, "Thanks. You're amazing too."

"Don't." I held up a hand. "Knuckles, I'm leaving town and… I don't know when, or even _if_ , I'll be coming back. So… maybe you should start looking…" my voice died in my throat.

Knuckles looked very confused, "Um… What are you-?"

"I- I- Iambreakingupwithyou!" I shut my eyes and put my hand over my mouth.

This conversation… was AWFUL. I had never broken up with a guy before! I mean, I never actually _dated_ a guy before and besides, I didn't _want_ to break up with Knuckles! I just… well, if his girlfriend is leaving town to most likely never return, then I have to let him go. Long distance relationships _never_ work out, and I can't be selfish.

Knuckles looked very confused before he stepped back as if he'd been slapped. "Wait- what?"

"I-" slowly, I exhaled and bit back the tears. "I'm sorry, Knuckles. Goodbye." Before I could get a response, I retreated back into my apartment and shut the door. After a few minutes, I got the courage to poke my head out and look.

The echidna was gone.

* * *

Manic was watching some reality TV show about pie, but didn't seem too interested in it. When I walked in, his expression immediately lit up. "Hey! Did your landlord leave yet?"

"He was _not_ my landlord." I bit my lip, trying to keep in the tears.

"Then who was he? A plumber?"

"No…" My legs finally gave out and I collapsed on the couch, "He is… _was,_ my boyfriend."

Manic had chosen that moment to take a sip of soda and promptly spat it out and began to cough. "What?" he managed to demand.

Unfortunately, I was unable to keep the tears in any longer. At this point, Manic must have thought I was weak, a total crybaby. He had seen me break down twice in the past two hours that he had known me. Just when everything was going right with Manic, the rest of my world was collapsing.

My stomach felt full of knots, like I was going to throw up. I bit my lip to try and stop the sobs, but that only made it worse.

"You really cared about that guy, didn't you?"

I looked over to Manic; for once, that gleam of mischief was gone, replaced by a small smile of understanding.

I nodded weakly; I wanted to speak but my throat felt too tight.

"He was like… the best part of your day. Everything you love, rolled up into one person. He meant the world to you." Manic spoke quietly, clasping his hands together and staring at the floor. Where he getting all this?

"You wanted to stay with him, but… you didn't want to be selfish. Aw, sis, you ain't selfish!" he said, cracking a grin. "You've gotta be one of the nicest people out there. Well, once you get that temper of yours under control… But he understood that about you, didn't he? The temper thing?"

I nodded shakily, both relieved that I didn't have to explain myself and a little scared that he could tell all that. Was I really that easy to see through?

"... How do you know all this?" I asked almost inaudibly, barely able to force the out the words.

Manic stopped talking and looked away. "I… I've just had a lot of girlfriends over the years. I get the whole relationship thing, y'know?"

I had a nagging feeling that he wasn't being entirely truthful. But this wasn't going to be giant leaps forward in mending a torn sibling relationship. _Baby steps, Sonia. Baby steps._

I wiped away the few drops of tears left on my cheeks and took a deep breath. It was okay; what's done is done. Knuckles and I were done, and I needed to move on- the sooner the better.

I stood up and made a beeline for my room to grab my purse. "I'm leaving to go shopping. You get us a van."

"Um… A van?"

I grabbed my purse and glared at him, "Yes, a van. We can't just take my bike!"

"Why not?"

"Does it look like I can afford to sleep in a hotel everyday?" I grabbed the doorknob and looked back at him, "And buy it, please. There's an envelope on the counter that has about three hundred dollars. That should be enough for something roadworthy."

"How in the world am I supposed to get a van for three hundred bucks?"

"I thought you said you can pull favors from your 'friends'." I rolled my eyes, "No stealing or embezzling. And it doesn't need to be a new van. Go to a junkyard or something and see if you can buy something cheap."

"Yes, ma'am." He gave a playful salute. "What are you doing?"

"Going to buy you some clothes and supplies. No 'buts'. I am not changing my mind." And with that I shut the door and headed out.

If Manic stole anything, I was going to kill him.

 **HOLY CHAOS SONIA JUST BROKE UP WITH KNUCKLES WITH LITTLE TO NO EXPLANATION.**

 **Yes, the break up was planned in our outline. No, we did not throw it in there to get anyone annoyed. In fact, some of y'all may be cheering.**

 **Um… So confession time: I have never actually 'dated' someone which means I have never 'broken up' with anyone. Same for Halo. So if you thought the 'break-up' scene was weird: that's because Halo and I have no personal experience! You're welcome!**

 **UGH KNUCKLES AND SONIA WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH YOU?**

 **And I've had a lot questions on how long this story is going to be. I will tell you in... 4 chapters. Promise. Have patience, young younglings, Padawans, and Jedi. (I'm in a Star Wars mood... still haven't seen Rouge One. Karabast.)**

 **Review please!**


	33. Hit the Road

Manic's POV:

I waited until I was absolutely sure Sonia was gone before I stopped holding my breath.

I've got to be more careful.

I have no idea what came over me just now; when Sonia started crying about her boyfriend… I knew how she felt. _Exactly_ how she felt. The joys of being gifted. And I guess… I was trying to connect with her, somehow. I'm good at that.

But I almost gave it away.

The thing is that no one, _no one,_ knows about my… people-reading thing. I really only started noticing it when I was nine or ten, and I'm not crazy enough to tell anyone about it, not even Curtis. I'd get tossed in the loony bin faster than a fat man chasing an ice cream truck. But I think I've learned to hide it pretty well over the years.

'Course, I always have the occasional slip up. Like just now- thank goodness I was able to think up the girlfriend thing (not that it was entirely untrue- I've pretty much lost count of how many failed relationships I've been in. All I know is that it's a lot). Hopefully sis doesn't suspect anything; I don't think I really want to tell her about it. Not yet, anyway.

But onto my mission: Acquire a van, preferably without breaking the law.

Needless to say, I was not enthusiastic.

Seriously, Sonia needed to get out more. If she spent _one minute_ in a car garage, she'd know that three hundred bucks ain't even _close_ to the amount I needed to buy a van, even a used one. It was sad, really. How could one just go through life being so… _naive?_ I knew our old town didn't see much of the outside world, but this was pathetic.

At least it gave me an excuse to get back to the downtown area. I thought about heading back to the Striker's base, but decided against it; I _really_ didn't want to have to say goodbye again.

So I went with the next best thing: Ben's Salvage Yard.

It's this auto parts yard on the edge of town. Ben's a real cool guy, always sells the Strikers parts for cheap. I figured he'd be okay with me poking around his place for a van. Besides, he owed me some favors.

I grabbed my knapsack and slung it over my shoulder, exiting through the fire escape rather than waste time with the elevator. I was about to head off downtown when something caught my eye. I took a closer look; If I wasn't mistaken… that was an Extreme Gear Board. How the heck was one of those babies lying around here?

Better question, why?

The only place I knew that sold those things was the black market. GUN's pretty tight with their technological secrets. Even just owning the blueprints to one can get you arrested.

Sweet.

Casually, and making sure I wasn't being watched, I swiped the board and ducked behind Sonia's apartment building. Just as I had predicted, there was a large, half-full dumpster pushed against the brick wall. Quickly, I deposited the board there, concealing it beneath a pile of trash. If it was still there when I came back, it was mine.

I slammed down the lid of the dumpster and hooked my thumbs in my pockets, whistling cheerfully as I made the trek out of the uptown area. I hitched a ride on the back of a streetcar and soon, I had made it to the junkyard.

"Benny, my man!" I exclaimed cheerfully, barging in through the front door of his shack.

He was sitting at a desk with his feet propped up, reading the newspaper. "What's it this time, Maniac?"

Ben was a tall and broad Overlander who knew more about cars than anyone else in the city. He'd given me a few miniature crash courses in auto mechanics over the years. Thanks to him, I actually know how a car engine works (not to mention a whole lot more than that). Our deal is that he teaches me about cars, and I swipe him new tools or parts or whatever he needs at the time. Or at least, that _was_ our deal.

"I need a van." I said.

He looked up from his paper skeptically. "Good luck with that. Why're you telling me?"

"Because this place is littered with car corpses."

"You know full well that nobody drops off a driveable car here. Go hijack one from a dealership or something."

"No can do, ol' buddy, ol' pal," I said, sitting down in the chair next to him and leaning forward. "Due to circumstances beyond my control, I have been rendered unable to steal anything. Ever again."

Ben stared at me. "You feeling alright, Maniac?"

"Not at all, actually. But the thing is, I really do need a van, and fast. Besides, you still owe me from that job last month."

Ben sighed. "Fine. You can go nose around in the heap. But don't take anything 'till I give you the okay."

I headed out to the vast expanse that was the scrap heap and breathed in the heavy scent of machine oil, rust, and gasoline. Man, I was gonna miss this.

Scouting around for something that looked remotely driveable or van-like was not an easy task. I found plenty of small car frames and one or two abandoned engines that looked promising, but besides that, zilch. Why couldn't Sonia lighten up and just let me get us a van the old fashioned way?

But I had the feeling that she was really serious about this. I'd never really thought much about my, eh, "habits" before she so nicely pointed them out, and I had never really cared to. Taking other people's stuff… this sounds really weird, but it had always kinda been a part of me, even before I ran away. She expects me to stop _now?_

After another hour of fruitless searching, I was beginning to lose my patience. I walked back to Ben's shack and popped my head in through the door.

"Yo! Ben!" I called. He didn't look up. "I need some help."

"What for?" he said flatly.

"Where the heck are the working cars? All I've found are busted-up bits of salvage."

"Were you looking on the west or the east side?"

"The east."

"There's your problem. I moved the towing area to the west side."

I called out a quick thank-you and dashed off to the west side of the enough, piles of towed and impounded cars are lined up, prime for the taking.

Er, borrowing. Long term.

 _Dang it, Sonia!_

I roamed through the aisles of cars, some newly towed and others so rusted their doors were falling off their hinges. Most of the cars were small, but here and there I spotted an SUV or a Mini Cooper.

Until finally, I hit the jackpot.

In the corner of the heap was a rusted out four-wheeled camper van with a dome-like windshield and sunroof. It might've been beige at one point, but the rust and grime that enveloped the van was so thick that it was near impossible to tell. To the untrained eye, a worthless junkbucket of a vehicle. Those with true automotive experience, however, would see this little beauty as it really was: a smoking hot pile of potential. It seemed like I had my work cut out for me.

* * *

Benny was pretty cool about me taking the camper van off his hands; It had been lying around the junkyard for months after it had been abandoned in a vacant lot, and since it was so busted up, he wouldn't have been able to scrap it for usable parts, anyway. I could see why- the minute I opened up the hood, I got squirted in the face with a wild oil splat. After I had washed the gunk out of my eyes, I discovered that the oil had exploded all over the engine, making it impossible to examine for damages. It took me almost an hour to clean it all off before finding out I'd have to replace the spark plugs and two of the cylinders. The battery was so rusted it flaked whenever I touched it, and the turbocharger looked like it had been used as a cutting board. Hoo boy.

I was grateful that Ben was so generous with his tools and spare parts. To be perfectly honest, this thing was a wreck. But somehow… I had gotten attached to it. I was going to make it roadworthy or die trying.

And die trying I almost did. It was like this hunk of junk didn't want to be fixed. Scraping the rust off the sides was pure torture, and the engine was emitting some weird blue smoke every time I tried to get it started. The idiot who used to own this thing must've tried putting in diesel fuel instead of gasoline. If they were _that_ dumb, then no wonder it was such a piece of garbage.

I worked all afternoon and into the night on that van. I cleaned off all the rust, completely swapped out the engine and battery, fitted it with brand-new tires, reinforced the brakes, and replaced the headlights and seats (there was some strange-looking mold growing on the fabric that I didn't have a very good feeling about). I even added in the back a bunk bed you could fold up against the wall. And I'm happy to say that all my hard work paid off; The car was still pretty grungy-looking on the outside, but it handled like a dream.

I was exhausted and sweaty and covered in grease and oil, and I wanted to go back to Sonia's place and take a shower. After thanking Benny and leaving him the three hundred bucks for his trouble, I drove off, the engine humming smoothly. I pulled into a parking space and locked up the car, and was about to head into the building when I suddenly remembered my Extreme Gear board I had found. I rushed to the dumpster and cleared away the trash, and sure enough, the board was still there. Score!

" _Success!" thought our hero as he carefully stored his newfound hover vehicle in his mechanical chariot and climbed up the fire escape. He made it to the top, pausing to view the vast cityscape, reflecting on the nighttime beauty-_

I suddenly realized how late I had been out.

Crap.

As quietly as I could, I lifted the window and climbed in and tiptoed across the floor. Unfortunately, there was a couch in my way and I tripped, the floor and I colliding with a loud thud. A light switched on.

Sonia was sitting at the kitchen table with her arms crossed and a vicious scowl on her face.

"Do you..." she said softly and dangerously. I sensed her seething anger and suddenly had the urge to hide. "Have _any_ idea what time it?"

I gulped. Oh man, I messed up.

"...No?"

"It's _four in the morning,_ Manic," she said, narrowing her eyes to slits. "Where were you?"

Part of me was terrified. The other part of me was confused as to why I was terrified. She's a girl! My _sister!_

 _Surveying his options, our hero analyzed his adversary, briefly considering whether or not he should beg for forgiveness, but catches himself- He is a swashbuckling daredevil with amazing hair and liking for vendor hot dogs, which are seriously nasty! He fears nothing!_

 _Except for very strong women who could literally tear him apart if they were in the mood. That, he admits, he is rather frightened of._

"I was out getting the van," I said. Dang, Sonia was scary when she was mad.

"Till _four in the morning?_ "

"Uh, yeah."

"Manic, don't lie to me. What were you _really_ doing?" she asked, exasperated.

"Oh, ye of little faith," I said. "I really _was_ out getting the van, sis. It's parked outside if you don't believe me."

Sonia got up and walked to the window, peering down at the street below. She squinted her eyes to get a good look at it in the dark with a cloudy expression on her face.

"... Is it that big thing in the corner?"

"That's the one. You can get a better look at it when it's daylight."

She sighed, closing the window. "Fine. But if I found out that you spent all day trying to steal it-"

"Steal it? I was fixing it!"

"Either way, it better have been paid for. I'm going to bed- we have a long day ahead of us."

She yawned and ambled over to her room, shutting the door quietly. Come to think of it, I was pretty tired, too. Auto repair can really take it out of you.

I curled up on the couch and shut my eyes. Maybe hanging around with Sonia wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

I was woken up with a scream.

" _Manic!_ " It was Sonia (I should've guessed).

I jolted awake. "What? Wuz' happenin', where's th' fire?" I leapt off the couch shakily, blinking to adjust to the bright light.

"What _happened_ to you?" she shrieked. "What's that black stuff you're covered in?"

I looked myself over. I had forgotten to take that shower last night.

"... Be right back, sis," I rushed off past her, and before she could protest, I locked myself in the bathroom. Maybe there, I'd get some peace.

After a much-needed shower, I finally unlocked the door. Sonia was sitting in the kitchen, sipping a cup of tea.

"Feel like telling me what exactly was going on before you left?" she asked dryly.

"Forgot to shower last night."

"But what _was_ that stuff?"

"Oil. Engine grease. Sweat and blood and tears."

"Manic, be serious."

"I _am_ being serious! That van was nigh-impossible to repair. Totally worth it, though."

"Speaking of which…" Sonia abruptly got up and left the apartment. Curious, I quickly followed after her. She and I took the elevator down to the ground floor before leaving the building entirely to go outside.

"Hmmm…" she said, looking over the van with a grimace.

"Well?" I said hopefully.

"It doesn't _look_ very driveable," she commented. Inwardly, I groaned. Did she have to be so critical of _everything?_

"Let's take it for a spin, and I'll show you just how driveable this baby is." I said with a grin. Sonia rolled her eyes but climbed in.

The inside wasn't much better than the outside, to tell you the truth. The seats (while better than the originals), were still not exactly new, if you get my drift. The carpet smelled kinda weird, and there was this odd blue stain on the floor next to the front seat. I could sense Sonia's disapproval from a mile away.

I made a rush for the driver's seat and clicked in my seatbelt. Sonia took her time getting to the passenger side, her face stony. Heh. She'll loosen up in a minute.

The second she clicked her seatbelt, I slammed down on the gas pedal, jolting us forward. My years of driving getaway cars was the only driving experience I had, and it was all I needed. The modifications I had made to the van made it the perfect vehicle to for high-speed chases, just the way I liked it.

" _Manic! What are you_ _ **doing**_ _?"_ Sonia was gripping the dashboard so tightly her knuckles had turned white. I grinned and continued to accelerate.

We twisted and turned through the streets, driving up on the sidewalks and going airborne with every speed bump. I was thankful that there wasn't too many civilians out. It wasn't long before I heard a police siren and spotted the flashing blue lights behind me. Oh no. There was _no way_ the fuzz was gonna spoil my fun.

"Erg, Manic!" shouted Sonia. "Now look what you've done! You're getting us pulled over!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you- _oh no._ Manic! Stop the car!"

" _NOT TODAY!"_

Slowing down just the tiniest bit, I spun the steering wheel around, making a hairpin turn in the opposite direction. We sped past the unsuspecting cop at eight miles per hour, easily leaving him in the dust as I steered the van through a narrow alley and over a ramp, launching us in the air. Navigating home was the easy part; we made it back to Sonia's apartment in record time. I parked the van in a spot that was slightly hidden from street view and hopped out.

" _Whew!_ " I shouted, grinning. "That was great! I feel really alive, don't you?... Sis?"

Sonia was frozen in place. Her expression was unreadable, but I sensed a volcano below the surface that was waiting to explode.

I'm dead.

"Manic… Charles… _Hedgehog…_ " she said slowly and dangerously. Oh boy, here it comes.

Thus proceeded a rant about how irresponsible I was, didn't I ever think before doing stupid stuff, I could've killed us all, what in the world was I thinking?

"Hey, I thought you _liked_ thrills!" I said, interrupting her seemingly endless spiel about my brain capacity.

"Not when they're _illegal!_ " she shrieked, tugging at her hair. "The police are going to trace our license plate and throw us both in jail!"

"No they won't."

"Yes, Manic, they _will!_ "

" _No_ , they won't."

"How do _you_ know?"

"Because we don't have any license plate they can trace."

" _ **What?**_ "

Sonia ran around to the back, gaping in shock at the empty place where our license plate should've been. I thought she was gonna start yelling again, but it appeared as though she was finally getting a grip.

Sonia took a deep breath. "Okay…" she started. "Okay. This is fine. We can fix this."

"Woah, woah, woah, what do you mean 'fix this'?" I asked suspiciously. I didn't have a very good feeling.

She narrowed her eyes at me, but managed to keep her voice under control. "Listen close, Manic- You are going to go buy the supplies I have written down. The plan is, we leave Station Square tonight, and we'll need these to get on the road," Sonia handed me a torn-out page from her notebook, with a long list of supplies written in small, neat cursive.

I pocketed the list but raised an eyebrow. "And what will _you_ be doing, Miss Perfect?"

Her steely expression hardened into something smug. " _ **I**_ will be making some much-needed adjustments to this... _thing_." She pointed to my van, sneering in revulsion.

"Nuh uh. No way. You are _not_ touching my baby." I said firmly.

"Your… what?"

"This 'thing' is my pride and joy and I _love it_." I hugged the side of the van tightly, glaring at Sonia. "I will _die_ before I allow you to besmirch _my child._ "

"Manic, stop being weird."

I hugged the van tighter. "Don't worry, baby. Daddy's here. I won't let mean ol' Sonia turn you into something you're not."

Sonia's expression was a mixture of confusion and disgust. I didn't care. It was impossible to spend over fourteen hours straight repairing a beautiful piece of machinery and not develop an intimate father-child relationship, and if she didn't understand that, then it just mean that she had never really known the joys of being a parent. My car-baby wasn't going anywhere.

Sonia groaned and put her hand on her forehead in an exasperated manner, "Manic…" she started very slowly, trying to hold in her temper. "I am _not_ going to destroy the car. All I'm going to do is get it registered- and you are NOT changing my mind on that- and give the seats a little maintenance. I don't even know how an engine works, let alone the brake system, so relax on the mechanics. If you want, I won't even touch the outer design. Just let me make the thing a little more… liveable." She crossed her arms and waited for my reply with a cocked eyebrow.

My paternal instinct was telling me not to let her within forty feet of my van, but I sensed that she was telling the truth on this one. It really didn't seem likely that she'd mess up all my hard work. I sighed sharply.

"Fine. But if anything happens to him-"

"Oh, it's a _him_ now!"

"- I will bring down fiery justice upon your head so fast, you won't know which way is up. _Capishe?_ "

She rolled her eyes. "Deal. Now, get going! We've got a lot to do before we leave. And don't steal anything!"

"Yes, Mother."

I dodged the back of her hand and skirted around to the back of my van, retrieving my new board before running off down the street. Once I was sure I was out of Sonia's field of vision, I hopped on, wobbling a little before regaining balance. I was thankful my shoes had good grips.

Riding Extreme Gear was just like riding a skateboard, except you didn't have to push with your foot and it was off the ground. Dozens, if not hundreds of feet in the air. Good thing I was oblivious to heights.

 _As our hero zipped awesomely through the streets on his equally awesome ride, he saw his beautiful city in a new light. The bird's eye view was breathtaking; Maniac wished he could look at it forever._

 _But_ _ **NOOO,**_ _he had to go on_ _ **ERRANDS.**_

Sonia's list dictated that we needed food, cooking stuff, bedsheets, and a first aid kit. This would be a lot easier if she let me go shopping _my_ way, but she couldn't allow _that_ , now could she?

I had a lot of time to think as I glided over the city, scoping out where I'd need to go for supplies. Sonia had really changed over the years. Like, a lot. She'd always been kinda bossy, though. I remember when we were kids, she used to beat me up whenever I did something stupid- which, to tell you the truth, was often. But I wasn't afraid of her.

Anymore.

Inwardly, I kicked myself. Why was I _still_ doing everything she told me to? Sonia wasn't the boss of me! I had a life here. Not a perfect life, or even safe one, but it was mine. Then she waltzes in and demands that I give up everything for-

Oh, yeah. Maurice.

Forgot.

I was still in shock about how he was alive. Sonia told me I would be able to sense him or whatever, and I really didn't take her seriously until I saw… something. Something blue. And fast. And definitely alive.

It was weird; I didn't even know I could "sense" anything except for people's thoughts and feelings, junk like that. But I knew he wasn't dead. He felt… close.

But that was impossible. There was no way he'd have survived this long on his own.

When I was a little kid, before I ran away, I believed- _truly_ believed- that Maurice was still out there. Maybe even looking for us. But the minute I left home, I finally got a clue: Unless Maurice did what I did and joined a gang (unlikely at age six), he'd be dead in a ditch before his seventh birthday. Sad but true.

Point is, he's alive. And now, just to help find him, Sonia is trying to force me to change _everything_ about myself- my lifestyle, my habits, my job, even my frikkin' _clothes_. Look me in the eye and tell me that's fair.

Life was a lot more simple before Sonia showed up.

* * *

The errands took me the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon to complete. I had mostly shoved the thoughts of Sonia and Maurice out of my head and replaced them with zingers like, "Should I buy the Twinkies or the Ho-Ho's? Both are delicious", and "What the heck, I'll just get three of each."

Some people say that the smell of baking bread or freshly mown grass reminds them of home. Not me. As I glided smoothly over the cityscape on my board, breathing in the sharp scent of car exhaust, trash, and sewer fumes, I felt a pang of premature homesickness in my gut. Wonder if anywhere else in the world will smell like downtown Station Square. Probably not.

A lot of people say the city is ugly, with all the old, broken down buildings and litter scattered everywhere. I think it's beautiful. Not a pretty thing to look at, but it's beautiful all the same- if that makes any sense.

Looking down on the ground, I caught sight of a neon sign advertising custom vehicle painting. A thought occurred to me that having an Extreme Gear board that was only one color was kind of a waste. Red was good, but it needed something else.

Like _yellow!_

A half an hour later, I walked out of the shop my newly painted red-and-yellow striped board. She was a real beauty, that one, yes indeed. I think I'll name her Penelope.

Hopping on her, I sped back to Sonia's place. She was sitting at the kitchen table when I walked in, sifting through her purse. Glancing at me, her expression hardened slightly. Great, what now?

"Where did you get that board?" she asked slowly.

"You ask like it's any of your business."

"It _is_ my business," she snarled. "Where did you get it?"

I sighed with as much bravado as I could muster. "If you _must_ know, sister dearest, this masterpiece of craftsmanship was left in a dumpster, abandoned! I bravely risked my life to save and restore her, but…" I paused for dramatic effect. "I suffered grave injuries at the hands of the nefarious Dumpster King, all worth it to rescue my darling Penelope!"

" _Penelope?_ "

I ignored her. "If you rip her from me now, you poor, misguided soul, I… I… may not survive the ordeal…"

Sonia rolled her eyes. "You stole it, didn't you?"

"Oh, ye of little faith! You wound me! Dost thou not believe thy own flesh and blood?"

"No, I don't," she said flatly. "Go return it! And stop talking like that!"

"Alas, I cannot fulfill either request, thou ill-tempered country wench, " I said, grinning widely at her growing discomfort. "Penelope is my own property, and while I'll tolerate your insistence on us embarking on grand quest to retrieve our long-lost brother-"

"Speak normally, Manic!"

I sighed, frustrated. Yeesh, couldn't she take a joke? "Fine, then. Translation: This board is mine and you can't take it."

"But it's _not_ yours. I can tell you stole it!"

"Oh, really? Prove it. Prove that I didn't find this in a dumpster like I just said, princess. _Then_ I'll return it, mmkay?"

Sonia opened her mouth as if to speak, but no sound came out. Her cheeks turned bright red; I smirked.

"That's what I thought. Looks like you're staying with me, Penelope." I stroked the board's smooth metal edges. Sonia glared.

"Would you quit being so _smug?_ " she said through gritted teeth.

"Would _you_ quit being so controlling?" I retorted. "Seriously, what's your problem?"

" _My_ problem is that you've got issues, Manic!" said Sonia, her voice rising.

"Um, okay, rude much?"

" _You're a thief!_ " she shouted. "From what I've seen, you lie and you steal and you con innocent people out of their money! If anything, _you're_ the one with problems! I get that it was your gang that made you this way, but you're a low-down, slobby punk with like, no sense of morals!"

"Ouch. That hit a little below the belt, sis," I said casually, tapping the table loudly with my drumsticks and refusing to face Sonia. But even without looking at her, I could tell that she was turning bright red. That tends to happen when she gets mad.

Growing up, I don't remember Sonia ever having this much of an anger-management problem. She was more of the type who sat and took whatever life threw at her, which is probably the reason she was the more serious and level-headed one of the two of us- and the one who got teased the most. She never fought back, so I took on that job. Now? She won't stop freaking out over every tiny nitpick.

I studied her features, trying to take in every bit of information I could. It was hard, though; that girl had some serious mental walls. Dang, she doesn't trust anybody, does she? I tried to concentrate- let's see… I already learned the hard way that she knows how to fight… she's obviously got a lot of emotional baggage from years of… What was that kid's name? Bobby?... Yeah, him. I hated him.

Oh wait, she's still talking?

"-ought to be ashamed of yourself! It doesn't matter if you joined a gang, Manic, you know stealing is wrong!... Are you even listening to me?"

"With one ear. That's all I need with you," I said dryly. "Rest assured, sister dear, I'm ashamed of myself. You have helped me see the light. I am a naughty boy and deserve to be punished. _Chaos, forgive me!_ " I sunk to the floor on bended knee, clasping my hands together and shouting up at the ceiling. "There are no words for the thanks I give you for revealing to me my true wickedness! I hereby resolve to repent of my evil deeds! Oh, remorse… remorse…" I fell to the ground, writhing in faux agony. Sonia stared down at me with an expression of the utmost disgust.

She sighed, throwing up her hands. "I give up."

I opened one eye and grinned. Guess my "penitent sinner" act worked "Does that mean this conversation is over?"

Sonia looked like she wanted to keep shouting, but she managed to compose herself. "Yes. Get up."

"But I _like_ it down here. Your carpet is very nice."

"Cut it with the sarcasm already!"

"What? Sarcasm? _Me?_ "

"Hmmpf. Fine then," said Sonia, walking over to a large shopping bag on the kitchen table and reaching in. "You can stay down there and live in ignorance of the new clothes I got you. Or, you could try them on."

 _I._

 _Would rather._

 _ **Die.**_

In an instant, I was up and running toward the window. In another instant, Sonia was dragging me away by the ear.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow-"

"What are you trying to do, kill yourself?" she demanded.

"No, but if that had been the outcome, I wouldn't have been disappointed!"

" _Manic!_ "

"Sis, I'm going to say this in the nicest way possible- there is _no way in heck_ that I'll _ever_ wear _anything_ from one of your prissy, preppy fashion malls. _Ever._ So forget it."

"Relax, I got stuff you'll like."

"Right. Sure. Sonia, if there's a sweater vest in that bag, then _so help me-_ "

She didn't answer, but pulled out a grungy, dark green and brown camo jacket with frayed black edges. I shut up real quick.

Sonia smiled at my silence and kept pulling out more clothes from the bag. Baggy, dark gray jeans with holes in the knees… cropped black skater pants… a grungy red pullover hoodie… black aviator sunglasses...

"Brother dear, I'm a Fashionista- but that doesn't mean I think that my style is _everyone's_ style. Fashion isn't just dresses and frills, but about matching personality to clothing. And there isn't just one style, there are hundreds of styles- whether I personally like them or not. I like the simple but practical outfits that can also look cute." She gestured at her dark purple jeans and red and gold blouse. "You-" her hand pointed at me, "prefer a look that's easy to maneuver in and you can continually ruin without making it look worse than it already is. In other words, holes, patches, and stains are your friends." Sonia pointed at the stack of clothes on the bed, "And trust me, there is plenty of _that_ in any department store."

For once today, Sonia was smiling. She must really like fashion. I was still in shock.

"So let me get this straight…" I said slowly. "You… can buy this stuff. At a mall."

"Yes."

"It's new."

"Yes."

"Then why does it look like the stuff I get from the Goodwill drop-off bin?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Because that's what's _cool_ , Manic. People seem to like grungy, punky, hipster stuff. Why, I have no idea, but…" She shrugged. "If it's your style, it's your style."

"Question: If this is exactly like my old stuff, why'd you get a bunch of new things?"

"The smell." she said bluntly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, if _that_ was the problem, why didn't you just get them washed or something?"

"I _did._ Eight times with the best laundry soap money can buy. After _that_ didn't work, I even tried hand scrubbing them. Didn't work. The sewer smell has embedded itself in your clothes permanently."

"Oh." That was weird. I never noticed any smell. "What'd you do with them?"

"Burned 'em."

" _You_ _ **WHAT?**_ "

"Well, what else was I supposed to do with them?" she said in far too casual of a manner. "You can't wear them!"

"You _burned_ them?"

"Yes, pay attention."

I must've looked pretty devastated, because Sonia threw me a weak smile. "Don't worry, I saved your Strikers vest," She threw the red denim vest to me; I caught it with one hand in disbelief. "But if you ask me, that thing deserves to burn too. It smells _disgusting._ "

"Really? Smells great to me."

* * *

The rest of the afternoon was devoted to me and Sonia packing up her apartment and loading it into the van. And I'll admit it, she did do a pretty good job of fixing it up aesthetic-wise. The beds had new sheets and pillows, and there was room for both her bike, my board, and three or four extra storage areas with room to spare. Guess being crazy uptight comes with organization skills.

By eight thirty, everything was ready to go. The plan was, we'd drive for two or three hours until we were out of the city, then we'd stop off for the night to sleep. Then in the morning we'd drive the rest of the way to our first place we agreed to look: Our old house, the one that was burned to the ground. Fun, fun, fun.

Because I didn't have a driver's license (another topic of the evening that turned into a shouting match), Sonia was our designated driver. How she got that license I have no idea- with her insane driving, she must have bribed the instructor.

I was quiet as we drove down the darkening roads of Station Square. Daylight was fading fast, but the lights in front of the stores and restaurants lit up the dark. The van slowed to a crawl at a stoplight, but I hardly noticed. Staring out the window, I took in what would probably be my last views of the city. That lump in my throat was starting to form again.

I glanced at a flashing green sign reading, "The Emerald Kitchen". I ate there once. Didn't actually pay for anything, but washing dishes for an hour was totally worth it- I swear, their lasagna comes straight from heaven. Too bad I never got to introduce Rouge to-

 _ **OH CRAP.**_

"Sonia, what day is it?"

"Um, Friday."

" _Stop the car!_ "

"What? Why?"

"I need to get out! Right now!"

I frantically scanned the area outside the restaurant's front. Sure enough, a familiar white bat sat at a table, looking annoyed and angry and… hurt. Oh Chaos. Oh Chaos, I'm dead.

"Manic, why do you need to get out?" asked Sonia.

I buried my face in my hands. "See that girl, right over there?" I said, my voice somewhat muffled. "The white bat sitting at the table on the left?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"... That was my date."

"I'm sorry, _what?_ "

I checked my watch; I was forty-five minutes late as it was. I had to make it up to her _now._

"That girl-" I pointed directly at Rouge. "She is my date. I asked her out and told her to meet me here because I don't have a car and I'm _forty-five minutes late!_ I gotta _go!_ "

"Why did you make a date?"

"Oops, my bad! I forgot that my _crazy sister_ was gonna pop out of nowhere and force me to move! 'Scuse me for making plans!"

"Well, if you had told me about it sooner-"

"Then what? You would've _allowed_ me to go? Geez, when did you become my parent?"

"Manic!"

" _What?"_

The stoplight turned green but the van didn't move. Sonia glared at me, "Manic, if you are almost an hour late, that girl is never going to forgive you."

I unbuckled my seatbelt and attempted to jump out the window headfirst, but Sonia grabbed the back of my hoodie.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" she said, gritting her teeth. "It doesn't matter how much you apologize, she will never go out with you again. Ever."

"But-but…" I sputtered. "I don't just _stand people up._ I need to at least show up and explain, y'know?"

"... How about you call her? I'll let you use my phone and you can explain while we're driving."

"That would work great, except I don't have her number."

" _What?_ How do you ask a girl out and not get her number?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I was in a drug-induced state of euphoria and it completely slipped my mind?"

"... With the life you've been leading, _yes."_

I pressed my face against the windowpane, wondering if I could read her from this distance. Turns out, I didn't need to try very hard- I could feel her seething rage from a mile away. (If you don't know what that feels like, think a flaming brick to the forehead.)

Rouge seemed to have had enough. She got up and stomped away in a huff, clenching her fists. I watched her for as long as I could until she spread out her leathery wings and took flight. Pretty soon, she was nothing more than a hot pink-and-white dot in the dark sky.

Great. I blew it.

Normally, I'm pretty good at the whole dating thing- girls like guys who can make them laugh. See, it's the whole commitment thing I'm bad at; my longest-running girlfriend lasted a month and a half, to the day. But I thought that Rouge… well, she might've been different. The kind of girl I'd want to stay together with. But any hope of _that_ was terminated by tonight.

"Hey…" said Sonia softly. "Don't worry about it. You were leaving town anyway, and… I'm not helping."

"Nope."

"Sorry, I've only dated one guy and… well, you know how _that_ ended."

I didn't answer, but leaned back in my seat and crossed my arms. Sonia went silent, driving onto the main road and up the freeway. I barely noticed as the road and cars blurred together, and I realized that, for once, I wasn't fidgeting.

 _As our hero, Matthews "Maniac"... Oh, forget it. His name is Manic. And he doesn't feel much like talking right now._

 **I love how Manic completely forgets about his date until he is SITTING IN FRONT OF THE RESTAURANT.**

 **So Sonia and Knuckles have broken up, Manic just stood up Rouge (on accident), and Sonic is being ridiculously slow with Amy for a guy so fast. YAY! BREAK FROM ROMANCE! ALL THE FAMILY FLUFF!**

 **Seriously, one more chapter of dates and I was going to rip the computer off the wall...**


	34. Happy Holidays

**Before any of you freak out and say, "The holidays were months ago," let me explain: I wanted to be at this point at Christmas, but… well, Halo and I couldn't type fast enough. Sorry. So this is our very, very, very late Holiday chapter(s).**

 **And it is Sonic this time!**

 **Oh this will be fun…**

 **Just for reference this takes place about two months after Sonia and Manic have left town. Quick comments, then we'll just swing into this.** _ **Which I, Halo, shall be doing! Hooray!**_

 _ **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: How have you lived without experiencing a wheelie? Had you no childhood? (granted, I almost died when I tried to do a wheelie that one time, but in retrospect, adding in the ramp was a bad idea anyway.)**_

 _ **Autumn: List of ways we could still update this story-**_

 _ **We could send you guys copies through the mail!**_

…

 _ **I can't really think of any other way.**_

 _ **So we won't be tearing up the computer anytime soon. To save on postage, if nothing else.**_

 _ **MeowthKitty: Me too. On the outside, she's a smoking hot ice queen, but on the inside, she's a fluffy cinnamon roll who will kill you in a second if you look at her the wrong way. Manic's just lucky that she didn't outright hunt him down and make him pay.**_

 _ **ultimateCCC: Of all the zones in the wide Sonic multiverse, the Friend Zone is by far the worst.**_

 _ **KyubiMaster9: Eh, Sonic's an idiot, but even he can see that Amy has the hots for him.**_

 _ **StarlightSparks: Sonia and Manic have a general plan…? But they're still pretty clueless at this point. Sonic (or Maurice, take your pick) still won't be found for quite a while.**_

 **Onward!**

Sonic's POV:

It was cold outside, snow was falling, and Knuckles was the only one who we were waiting on.

Usually, I'm the late one, but not this time. Part of the reason might have been that it was at my house, but who's paying attention?

I was sitting on the couch, chatting with Amy on my left. To the right was Miss Vanilla at the table, finishing up the last few touches on the feast. Cream was helping her mother, and Tails was watching the last batch of rolls to make sure they didn't burn (he still wouldn't let me in the kitchen). Shadow was brooding in the corner, having been dragged along by Rogue. But I didn't blame him for not fighting her. For an unknown reason that she refused to explain, Rogue had been fuming over something for the past month. One wrong word and you'd be kicked in the head (I made the mistake of mentioning the _Stephanie's_ robbery and had been rewarded with a headache and lump on my forehead.)

The holidays were an interesting time of year for us. Thanksgiving was celebrated at Miss Vanilla's house while the Winter Holiday was usually at Tails' and my house. One year we went to Angel Island, but I think all of people on the island made Knuckles nervous so it didn't go... well. And when I say Winter Holiday, I don't mean your ordinary Christmas, Hanukkah, and whatever else there is.

To sum it all up: We all have separate 'religions'. I was born and raised in the Church of Chaos, but haven't really had a thing to do with it since… ya know. Tails is technically also Chaotic, but isn't really picky. Knuckles is an Orthodox Chaotic… very old version of the modern day type (I guess the religion on the island was never really tarnished). He's the diehard member of the team. Amy… I don't know what Amy is. She isn't an Atheist, or a Neoist, but I've never really asked her about her childhood religion. Come to think of it… I haven't asked her about her childhood. I need to fix that… What was I talking about again? Rouge is an Atheist... that believes in Chaos...and the Neo Walkers. And Solaris. Actually, she changes her religion every time someone asks so I'm not sure what she is. Shadow is 'Agnostic'. For those of you don't know what that is (I had to look it up before I knew) it basically means that you believe that something's out there, but you're not in one religion. Of course, he probably has the belief that 'she-who-must-not-be-named' is in Heaven. That's the only reason he's not an Atheist. Miss Vanilla and Cream are Neoist... and the only ones. So when it comes to the Winter Holidays, we decided to NOT have clashes on beliefs, and we just call it our 'Winter Holiday'. Traditions included a giant feast, gift exchanging, and sharing happy memories, one of my favorite times of year.

And Knuckles was twenty minutes late.

Amy kept glancing at the clock throughout our small talk, the worry on her face getting more prominent each passing minute.

"I'm sure he's just stuck in traffic," I smiled and looked over at Tails, who was pulling out the rolls to cool, "Right, buddy?"

"But he doesn't drive a car!" Tails put the pan on the counter and took off the oven mitts. "He uses extreme gear to fly."

I rolled my eyes, "Yes. Traffic in the air."

"What traffic? All I see is clouds."

I paused for a moment, "Maybe he ran into the Babylon Rogues."

Tails shook his head, "Sonic, this is way out of their territory. They're probably off on the other side of the world, you know that."

"They've come out before!"

"For a race. Set up by Robotnik. For a Floating Garden and a Chaos Emerald."

Throwing my hands into the air, I gave up, "For crying out loud, I was trying to be positive. I'm sure he's fine!"

Amy glanced at the clock again, "He's not usually late. When did you see him last?"

I frowned slightly, "Uh… I think when I was recovering in the GUN med bay, he dropped by once. But after that…"

Surprisingly, Rouge was the last one to have seen him, "He came by GUN about a week ago to get a new Extreme Gear board."

Tails frowned, "What happened to his old board? I can fix it up if he crashed."

"Apparently, Red lost it. Or got it stolen. He was a little distant when I spoke with him." Rouge shrugged. "None of my business."

Miss Vanilla gave a sweet smile, "Perhaps we should start without him. I'm sure he'll join us eventually."

Well, the food was getting cold and since we had no idea when Knux would get here, we decided to start.

Most of the dinner was prepared by Vanilla and Cream. Generally, Knuckles prepared the ham (he can BARBEQUE), but this year he called Shadow a week ago and asked him to make it. That sentence sounds very strange, I know but very long story short: After one of my 'incidents' in the kitchen, Shadow insulted my cooking, to which I replied, "And you can do better?"

He simply replied, "Anything you can do, I can do better." He was a little confused on why I started singing after that, but- whatever.

The next day, Shadow had prepared, cooked, and set up a four-course meal, complete with steak, homemade mashed potatoes, and baked Alaska for dessert. Show off. Although, I did get blackmail out of it (Shadow in a pink apron was the best part of the night, and probably the closest I've ever been to death after he found the camera).

After that, Shadow was put in charge of the Thanksgiving Turkey (much to Knuckles's disappointment. We promised he could keep the Winter Ham).

Anyway, we all sat down and began to dig into the food. The entire meal took an hour. A wonderful hour filled with great food, great friends, and great memories. Miss Vanilla sat at the head of the table, like the Mother of the family. To her sides were Cream and Amy. I was in between Tails and Amy, with Shadow across from me (Cream insisted that he sat next to her). Rouge was next to Shadow and an empty seat for Knuckles was to her other side. And at the other end of the table sat-

"Frank, I swear to Chaos! Eat your salad!"

Frank grinned at his wife and grabbed another roll, "Now Berny, you know how I feel about lettuce."

"Well it is good for you, so eat up!" Bernice grabbed the salad dressing and poured some on her husband's plate.

Tails and I attempted to hide our snickers behind our napkins as the two continued their argument.

Frank and Bernice Roberts, old… family friends? Team acquaintances? Uncle and Aunt who are in no way related to you?

What do you call two people who kinda took care of your future-adopted younger brother after you decided to be an idiot and abandon him in an attempt to keep him safe?

I'm going to go with "family friends".

Anyway!

"Miles, dear, could you pass the mashed potatoes?" Bernice smiled at Tails, who quickly straightened his face.

"Sure, Bernice."

Amy grabbed another slice of ham, "Shadow, this is the best ham I have ever had."

Faker grunted in reply and returned to his meal.

Rouge was very quiet- which was very unlike her. Nobody made a comment.

One hour and a clear table later, Knuckles was still not there. Now we were all starting to worry.

When the clock finally hit the two hour mark, Amy put her foot down, "I'm going to look for him and no one is going to stop me!" She stood up and marched towards the door.

"I'll grab The Tornado!" Tails hopped to his feet and headed to the back door, "Frank, can you help me get the barn open?"

"Sure, sonny."

I zipped over in front of Amy. "We'll look together okay? Bernice and Miss Vanilla, can you stay here in case he shows up?"

"Of course, dear," Miss Vanilla scooped up the dirty dishes with Cream right behind her. "Bernice and I will get the desert ready, just in case."

Rouge was pulling on a coat and grinned at Shadow, "We'll check Angel Island."

Simultaneously, everyone cried, "NO STEALING THE MASTER EMERALD!"

The bat actually almost fell over from the shout and gave everyone an annoyed look, "I wasn't going to!"

No one believed her.

Of course while we were all scrambling about, trying to get organized, Knuckles finally showed up. I literally ran into him on my way out, knocking the several wrapped boxes out of his hands. Then came the pouring questions from everyone. Amy started with, "WHERE IN CHAOS WERE YOU?"

Cream simply asked if he needed help carrying the presents inside.

XXX

Knuckles placed the final gift under the tree and slumped down on the couch without a word. Amy had finally calmed down enough so that she wasn't screaming. "Knuckles, where were you?"

"...I had to do some last minute shopping."

Somewhere behind me, I heard Tails choke on his drink. As soon as he was able to breathe, he demanded, "Who are you and what have you done with Knuckles?"

Remember how I mentioned that Knuckles was the best gift-giver? Well, generally, he planned on what to get you a year in advance and bought it a month before the holiday. So the fact that he was "last-minute-shopping" was a bit of a shock.

"Look, I've had a long month and I… haven't been thinking straight. Sorry." He crossed his arms and refused to say more so we dropped the conversation.

Without any signal, everyone made their way to their claimed gift-exchange seat. I plopped down on the far right side of the couch with Amy to my left. On her other side was a very quiet Knuckles (what was his problem?). On one of the spare couches that Tails had pulled out from the garage sat Bernice and Frank having one of their old couple arguments. Vanilla sat in a rocking chair I carried over from her house. Shadow refused to sit down (It's Shadow, don't question it) and Rouge sat on one of the dining room chairs (she never complained so we never changed it). Cream and Tails had the honor of sitting on the floor/ beanbags.

It _was_ an honor, despite what you think. They got to hand out the presents to everyone! Thus commenced the gift exchange. We started with Cream and went by age, youngest to oldest. (The first time we did this, it took about ten minutes to figure out who was older: Frank or Shadow. We assume Shadow).

If I listed everyone's presents, it would take forever, so I'll just say that all the best ones were given by Knuckles, as usual (even when he's not trying, he still gives the best stuff. Show off). But even though he got some pretty great stuff too (who can resist smiling when you get the Montana Badger movie boxed set?), but he seemed really bummed out. Like, all night. Knuckles just kind of stood in the corner and tried to disappear or something.

This was disturbing to me.

You know what else was sort of disturbing to me? About halfway through the gift-giving ceremony procedure process, I started thinking about Sonia and Manic. Like, really vividly.

I had to step out of the room and try to calm down.

I felt confused and anxious at the same time. Did something trigger me, or…? I don't know. But I didn't want to be thinking about them. Not here. Not now.

Usually, when I think about Sonia or Manic or my parents, the image is always a little… blurry. I don't remember much of them, just the basics- Manic was green, Sonia was pink, Mom was purple, Dad looked like me and was fast. Most of the time, I had to rack my brain just to remind myself of anything beyond colors and ages.

I tried to steady my breathing, but the memories flooded my brain like a tidal wave. Manic loveded cherry suckers and would eat them all the time. Sonia's favorite game was to pretend she was a princess and we were her knights. We played hide-and-go-seek in the woods near our house. Mom baked bread. Dad used to read to us with the funny voices.

I punched myself in the forehead. What was _wrong_ with me? Why was I thinking about all this now, of all times?

Out of nowhere, the rush of recollection just stopped.

I thought I had wanted to get rid of the memories, but now I scrambled to bring them back. They were fading fast, though; soon, it was back to only making out their colors again. This didn't make sense- how could I remember and forget something so quickly?

I concentrated hard; I couldn't lose that image of them again. Let's see… Sonia had… purple eyes. Or were they blue? No, Manic had the blue eyes… or green. Or brown. I couldn't remember.

I guess my imagination was going haywire or something, because for some reason I began envisioning them, but _way_ older than six. In fact, they looked around my age. Manic had shaggy green bangs that fell over his eyes and wore a red pullover hoodie; Sonia was shivering, even though she was wrapped in a heavy purple coat. Snow was falling outside, and they looked like they were… driving? Okay, whatever. Was this heaven or something? Did it snow there?

They were laughing; I couldn't hear what they were saying, but it sounded… happy. Good. I hope they're happy up there. But where were Mom and Dad?

"Sonic?"

I turned around. Tails stood watching me, looking concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked tentatively.

I pulled myself together as quickly as possible, "Yeah… Sorry, I was just… thinking."

Ugh! This was a _happy_ day, not a time to think about… that stuff! _Quick, think of something more recent. Um… first time Tails was captured by Robotnik! Wait, that wasn't happy- okay, first Christmas with Tails! We went to the Robert's and the Tornado almost completely broke on us… and then were basically forced to join GUN, and-_

Okay, there had to be better memories than _that_ in my life.

Tails was still looking very concerned at me and I decided to have this conversation with myself later. I forced a smile and scooped him up, "Come on, we'll be late for dessert!"

"Sonic! Put me down!"

I knew how much he hated it when I carried him. I smiled and slung the fox over my shoulder, carrying him into the next room. Tails was not pleased.

"Let go of me, Sonic! I'm not a little kid anymore!"

"Hey, ten's still pretty young."

" _Eleven! I'm eleven!_ "

I smirked. "Whatever, bro."

I plopped him on the couch, while Frank and Bernice laughed at the sight. Tails glared at me, but his face eventually broke into a smile. Amy, Cream, and Vanilla must have been grabbing the dessert because they weren't in the living room at the moment.

And… Knuckles was still quiet.

And I was done with it. "Yo! Knucklehead!" I snapped my fingers in front of his face to get his attention.

Knuckles glanced up, very annoyed, "What, hedgehog?"

"There you go again- whenever you're mad, you call me hedgehog. What did I do this time?" I grinned at the old joke, but to my surprise (and concern) the echidna didn't respond with more than a grunt. He didn't even look that mad, either. Just… saddish. Weird.

I thought of something that might cheer him up. "So, how's Sofi doing?"

Knuckles stiffened, then grimaced, saying nothing. Okay. Something was wrong.

"Come on, Knucklehead, what's wrong with you? Usually you can't shut up about her. What's up?"

"Go away, Sonic."

Okay… something was very, very, wrong. Amy arrived with the dessert at that exact moment, saving me from a response, but I kept my eyes on him.

I guess everyone else was worried about Knuckles too, because I wasn't the only who tried to cheer him up. Telling him jokes didn't help. Neither did funny stories from recent missions.

"Come on, Knucklehead, lighten up! You wouldn't want to be frowning when your girlfriend shows up," I said.

Knuckles, who had been lying with his face on the table, suddenly jerked up. " _What?_ "

"Yeah, didn't you invite Sofi to come? We all wanted to meet her!"

Knuckles groaned and started banging his head against the table. Everyone stared at him confused. It was Rouge, though, who put it together.

"Holy Chaos. You two broke up, didn't you?" she asked. Knuckles groaned loudly, still face-down.

"Oh, Knuckles…" said Amy sympathetically. "Is that true?"

He didn't answer but groaned again. Wow. I had never seen him this bad before, not even when the Master Emerald was stolen. Actually, then he was more furious than anything. Now he just seemed depressed.

"Is this why you've been cooped up on Angel Island for the last two months?" asked Tails. Knux seemed to be trying to disappear into the table.

"Obviously, he needed some time to be alone," said Shadow from the corner.

"To brood, you mean." I said. Shadow glared at me. 'But you know all about that subject, don't you, faker?"

"Sonic, you're not helping!" said Amy.

Well, what was I supposed to do? I'm good at bashing robots and running fast, not comforting friends who have crushing depression. Awkwardly, I tried patting him on the head, but got my hand swatted away.

"Please, not now…" Knuckles mumbled. "Just leave me alone."

Amy and I exchanged looks. This appeared to be worse than we thought.

"Oh, Knuckles…" began Amy slowly. "I'm sure it isn't _that_ bad!"

Knuckles looked up, his eyes shooting daggers. Amy backed away slightly.

"Yeah, let's hear you say that if you found that Sonic was two-timing you, then told you he was leaving town and you'd never see him again." he said, gritting his teeth.

Say _what?_ "Wait… Sofi was cheating on you?" I asked.

"There was another guy in her apartment who she didn't want me to see. Someone named Matt. They left town together back in October. Ninety percent sure they're dating. She won't answer any of my texts…" Knuckles trailed off, staring at nothing.

By now, everyone was paying attention, even Shadow. Knuckles either didn't notice or didn't care. After about nine or ten minutes of straight silence (and everyone being too chicken to try and pat him on the head again), everyone cleared out of the kitchen except for Cream and Rouge. Eventually, though, Rouge left too. As in, she left. Went out the door with barely a "Merry Christmas".

I popped my head back in the kitchen again and was promptly shocked to see that Knuckles was… letting Cream hug him. She was speaking softly to him, and I strained my ears to pick up on their conversation.

"-Mister Knuckles. You'll be okay, I promise," she assured him, squeezing him in a tight embrace. Knuckles didn't answer, but he didn't push her away either. Dang, that kid might only be ten, but she could talk down Metal Sonic if she wanted to.

Definitely one of our stranger Winter Holidays.

Knuckles left a short time later. Shadow sort of vanished without a goodbye, and the Roberts left for home when the sun started to disappear.

Everyone else stayed after to clean up the mess (wrapping paper is the worst… especially those tiny pieces that no one can pick up. After five minutes Tails left the room. He came back five minutes later with a machine to pick up the pieces for us… after we had finished cleaning up. I may have chased him around the house for fifteen minutes and given him the king of all noogies because I wish he had told us what he was doing and I'm rambling again).

I've always liked the holidays. Heck, I even used to joke that my birthday was on Christmas (and when nobody bought it, I said it was the day after). With the wrapping paper cleaned up and the party dying down, most everyone had already cleared out- it was just me and Tails now, and he had already gone to bed, leaving me alone in the living room next to the glowing tree.

My thoughts began to wander back to the flash of memory I had received earlier that night, but I quickly shoved that out of my head. Nope. I wanted tonight to end on a happy note. I had a new family now.

 _Happy Holidays, guys._

 **Hey, y'all! Remember how I said I'd tell you how long this story is in 4 chapters? Well… Halo decided to combine some chapters so now I get to tell you this chapter.**

 **So I have good news, and I have bad news.**

 **Good news: WE HAVE REACHED A MILESTONE IN THE STORY. Everyone pat themselves on the back and give me three cheers. Go buy a smoothie and dance a little jig. Now that that is done, sit back down and get ready for the bad news.**

 **Bad news: The Milestone is sort of… kind of… the, um… halfway… point.**

 **This chapter is the half-way milestone. For our mathematicians out there, this is chapter 35. Double it and you have 70 chapters. So...yay.**

 **More good news! Those 35 more chapters are not completely revolved around Sonia and Manic trying to find Maurice. In fact they 'find' him in chapter… I don't remember… let's just say it's somewhere in the high 40's low 50's. If you thought that was a spoiler, it really wasn't. We also have some excitement with Sonic and Robotnik, adding in some Sonia and Manic and a LOT of headcanon/crazy writer inspirations. What about the other chapters following all that? Well… *nervously laughs* you'll just get to see when we get there, won't you?**

 **Even more good news! Halo and I have a goal to finish this by the end of this upcoming summer! Whether or not we hit that goal… let's just cross our fingers and pray for the best.**

 **Final bit of good news: This story was originally… *stops to check outline* 105 chapters. So we actually cut it down! You are welcome! *hides in a bunker and throws up a white flag* DON'T KILL US!**


	35. Following Footsteps

**HOLY CHAOS I AM SO SORRY.**

 **Actually… no I'm not, sorry. *hides behind a brick wall* BEFORE YOU KILL ME READ THE CHAPTER.**

 **Because of the giant wait, comments on reviews will be at the end. Now please put down the guns, clubs, and tomatoes and read the chapter before you do something you regret. See you at the bottom of the page!**

 _ *****_ _ **Suggested Listening: "Strangers" by Scratch21**_ _ *****_

Sonia's POV:

You know, if there's one thing I miss from living down South, it's the winter climate. _There_ you don't have piles of slushy snow that gets in your shoes and makes you want to scream. _There_ you don't have to wear seven layers of clothes just to make sure you won't freeze to death. _There_ you don't have to shovel annoying piles of snow into larger piles of snow just so you can drive away. _There_ you don't have to worry about thick sheets of ice on the road that are almost impossible to see and make you slid off the road into one of the previously mentioned snow banks. I could go on, and on, and on, and on… but you probably don't want to listen to my rant on the horrid parts of winter. Which is most of it. This season is horrible.

Manic didn't seem to agree with my opinions.

"Come on, winter ain't _that_ bad," said Manic casually, smirking. Hmpf. How was he able to stay warm with only his hoodie and a pair of gloves? It was twenty degrees!

In the time since we had left Station Square last October, Manic and I had made very little progress towards finding Maurice. We had meant to start out for our old house that we had lived in before it got destroyed, but we couldn't seem to stop getting delayed. At first, the van kept breaking down and we had to keep getting new parts to help fix it, but little things like the heater work whenever they feel like working, which is almost never. Then when we passed through Westopolis, I began finding out the hard way just how many enemies Manic had made in the last six years. Long story short, we're lucky to be alive.

It was the middle of December now, and according to the map we had acquired at a truck stop, we were about two hundred miles away from the site where our house should've been- if we could navigate to it through all this chaos-cursed _snow_.

That constant awkward silence that had chased us since Station Square pounced into view again. Spotting a fast food place, I pulled the van to a halt and unbuckled. "Well, you're on lunch duty today."

"Any requests?"

"Nothing with meat."

"Consider it done, princess."

Manic hopped out of the van, slamming the door behind him. I wandered into the back and sat down on my bunk, almost immediately becoming enveloped in my thoughts, which were too scrambled to make much sense of. I opened up my luggage and pulled out a large, thick purple notebook and dark pink glitter pen. Uncle Chuck gave it to me for my fourteenth birthday. I had used it for drawing fashion designs in the past, but I didn't feel like clothes today. Maybe if I wrote all my feelings down, I might actually get a grip on my life. Heard that works.

I pulled out my pen and turned to a clean page. How did most people start these things? "Dear Diary"?

Chaos, _no_. Not writing that in a million years.

So I started with the date.

 _December 13_

 _I really need to get a hold on my life. I'm in a junky van with a very, very, annoyed (and annoying) brother who is out buying lunch (he's actually not so bad of a cook when he isn't trying out something weird, like putting grape jelly on cereal. Yeah, he did that once)._

 _Ugh… You know, I really miss Manic._ _ **My**_ _Manic. The one that used to prank everyone in Southtown just to make me smile. He always seemed to get me out of the crowds who were yelling 'freak' and plaster a smile on my face with some corny joke that shouldn't have been funny, but was._

 _And now… Every time I think I'm pulling him out of his shell, he'll say some random comment that throws me off guard, then he locks himself away again. It's pretty obvious that he doesn't trust me at all._

 _Which is very, very, very, annoying._

 _I mean, come on! I'm sitting over here driving six hours a day, and he just sits there staring out the window ninety percent of the time, always tapping those drumsticks on everything in sight, always moving. I can't tell if he's just daydreaming or what, but whatever it is, something feels off about it._

 _He and I have been fighting a lot since we started our search. Mostly it's been over really small, stupid things, like where we should go to eat, but that keeps escalating until it turns into a full shouting match. It's at times like these I think of Manic as one huge pain, and he seems to think the same way about me. That scares me. A lot._

 _Don't get wrong, he's still as funny and bombastic as I remember, but I can tell that he is holding most of that back, minus the occasional snarky comment (which doesn't count, anyway). In fact, he seems to be holding a lot back. It was weird- almost every time we do get to talking about something besides road directions (and don't start fighting over something dumb), Manic will tell me something that he really shouldn't have known about, like how I had taken three years of piano lessons- something I only begun doing after he ran away. And when I asked how he could possibly have known that, he kind of froze up for a second, then told me that he is really good at guessing. Okay, I'll buy that he's a good guesser, but no one's_ **that** _good! He's hiding something. (WAIT- has he been going through my stuff or something and gathering information about me? He'd_ better _not be! And if he is, I am going to kill him… Note To Self: question Manic about it, but be subtle so he won't think I'm trying to interrogate him.)_

 _Come to think of it, maybe I've been a little too hard on him… but I just can't help it! I'm still angry that he left me all alone! If I get over that, maybe things will go smoother._

 _Maybe._

 _Why does life have to be so confusing?_

Without really knowing what else to write, I signed my name at the bottom… then crossed it out. I really had no idea how to do this "diary" thing… but I think I liked it.

I was putting away my notebook when Manic came back, holding a white paper bag from a fast-food restaurant. With one hand he pulled out a cheeseburger wrapped in foil, and with the other, a salad in a plastic box.

"Catch!" he said suddenly, tossing me the salad. I caught it with one hand and climbed back into the front.

"Thanks," I cracked open the lid and dug in. Manic did the same with his burger, and I stopped for a moment to watch him eat. It had been so long since I had last eaten meat, I had almost forgotten what it tasted like at all, but the hanging scent of dead animal flesh burned my nose and reminded me all too strongly of Uncle Chuck's favorite recipe. And the reason why I went vegetarian in the first place.

"So…" I started. "How was… um… buying the food?" Wow, that was smooth.

Manic looked up from his burger and kind of stared at me for a minute in disbelief. He gulped his food and his eyes bored into mine. Chaos, this was weird. It felt like he was staring into my soul or-

"You're probing me, aren't you?" he asked suspiciously.

"I am not!" _Dang it._

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Probing. Verb. The act of seeking to uncover information about someone or something. Stop it."

I went silent for a second. "Okay, fine. I was just trying to talk to you."

Manic stared at me again for a moment and raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, he jerked his finger towards the window.

"Hey, look Sonia! A squirrel! Look at the squirrel!" he shouted.

I crossed my arms. "So what? He's just getting a coffee, big deal."

"No, he's going in to hold up the convenience store."

"... You have a strange imagination, Manic."

Abruptly, Manic went silent and continued to eat his cheeseburger. Great.

About five minutes later, I heard gunshots.

Manic pumped his fist. "Called it!"

Nevermind, then. "Okay, how in Chaos did you know that?"

"Um… I just... did."

"That's not an explanation!"

"I'm a good guesser!"

"You're _hiding something!_ "

Manic went back to eating his burger as if I didn't exist.

I facepalmed. "See, see? This is what I have to deal with! You don't tell me anything, and it's driving me _crazy!_ If you would just _tell_ me what's going on-"

"You're probing again!"

" _Errrg!_ Manic, I… I…" Suddenly, I felt woozy. Oh no.

I felt myself slump over and hit the dashboard of the car, and my vision went black.

XXX

 _Ten-year-old Sofia yawned awake and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. The fight between Uncle Charlie and Matthews last night was awful and had made her feel sick to her stomach. She had hardly been able to sleep with the echoes of their shouting ringing in her ears._

 _The sunshine streaming through her and Matthews's bedroom window was unusually bright this morning. Someone had left the window open- and taken off the bug screen. Was this another one of Matthews's tricks? Uncle Charlie wasn't going to like this._

 _Sofia climbed out of bed and ambled sleepily over to her closet, absentmindedly picking out a plain red and white t-shirt and jean skirt. Matthews was still in bed, burrowed in his blankets. She decided not to wake him; she could already tell that he didn't want to be disturbed._

 _As she combed her quills into two braids, Sofia felt an odd, sinking feeling in her gut. Probably just left over from last night's fight. But no matter how she tried, she couldn't shake off the notion that something was wrong._

 _Breakfast was silent as usual. Uncle Charlie read the newspaper while Sofia poured herself a bowl of cereal. Each bite she took made the awful feeling grow still larger._

" _Where's your brother?" asked Charlie, his gruff voice slightly muffled by the paper._

" _In bed, I think."_

" _Go tell him to wake up, or you'll be late for school."_

 _Sofia finished her breakfast and walked upstairs, careful to skip over the wobbly step. She knocked softly on the bedroom door, but with no answer, she walked in herself. Just as she had thought, Matthews was still asleep- or pretending, anyway._

" _Matthews, wake up. We'll be late for school!" Sofia expected him to mumble something about wanting five more minutes, but not a peep came from the bundle of blankets._

 _Sofia sighed and pulled back the covers. '"Matthews, come on. Get u-" She froze; beneath the thinning quilt was only two pillows and a note addressed to her. Frantically, she ripped it open, her horror increasing with every word._

 _Sonia_

 _I cant take this no more. Uncle Chuck HATES ME, and I hate him. Im leaving. I dont know where. Please dont look for me. Im sorry. I love you._

 _Manic_

 _P.S.- I.O.U. ten dollers._

 _She almost didn't hear the thump as she tumbled to the floor; in the back of her mind, she knew the fall had hurt, but the pain was almost insignificant._

 _This had to be a mistake; Matthews couldn't be gone._

 _ **Manic**_ _couldn't be gone._

 _Like a bolt of lighting, she jumped to her feet, rocketing down the stairs and out the door, ignoring her uncle's questions. On the way outside she tripped, skinning her bare knees, but Sofia hardly noticed._

" _Matthews!_ Matthews!" _she cried, running all over the junkyard, turning over every old tire and even checking inside the busted red Camaro that had been dropped off at the junkyard two weeks before. "_ _ **Matthews!**_ "

 _Uncle Charlie ran outside. "Sofia, what in tarnation are you doing? Where's Matthews?"_

 _She whipped around to face him, her cheeks streaked with tears. She wanted to scream, to cry like a baby, but no sound escaped her throat. All she could make out was a squeaky gasp. "He's gone."_

" _What are you going on about?"_

" _Manic IS GONE!"_

XXX

"Sonia…? Sonia! Oh, sweet Chaos… Please don't be dead!"

I felt Manic shaking me hard and let out a groan. My head hurt. "Manic… please stop."

He let go, breathing heavily. I opened my eyes and sat up. "Ugh…" I rubbed my eyes and turned to Manic; he looked like he had seen a ghost. "Did I miss anything?"

"Good grief, Sonia! Don't _do_ that!" Manic's face was an odd shade of grayish white, his features edged with terror.

"It's fine, Manic. Really."

"I thought you were _dead!_ "

"Calm down."

"Okay, my bad! 'Scuse me for being _a little upset_ that I thought my sister had kicked the bucket!"

I stopped. Part of me was frustrated; my head was throbbing, and I really didn't want to dwell on the vision. Couldn't he just let it go? That part of me felt like lashing out and telling Manic to mind his own stinking business. I didn't enjoy these episodes any more than he did.

But the other part of me stopped myself- Manic had been terrified, if his reaction was any indication. He genuinely thought I was dead, even if it was just for a minute or two. So he _didn't_ hate me completely. That was… comforting, I suppose.

"Let's just get driving, okay?" I said, my voice calming down somewhat. "That guy who's robbing the store will be done any minute now."

Manic looked like he wanted to say something else, but it looked like he decided against it, finishing his burger and staring out the window, refusing to face me. Even without looking at him, I could tell that he was still shaken.

"Look…" I started, a little unsure of what to say. "This sort of thing happens all the time. Don't worry about it."

"What are you talking about? We've been living together for two months and this has _never_ happened. Trust me, I'd remember."

"Well… I'll admit, it usually doesn't happen during the day like this. Not often, anyway."

"Huh?" Manic finally turned to look at me, confused. Something changed in his eyes; that feeling of him staring into my soul was back. He blinked and shook his head, and the feeling was gone. This was getting way too weird for my taste.

Manic must've noticed my alarmed expression. He attempted a grin, but it didn't seem very wholehearted.

"I get it," he said, a little too knowingly. "It hurts, right? The headaches?"

I nodded slowly. Okay, so it's true that I've had couple of migraines now and then. He's probably just really observative.

Manic continued to stare, and that strange sensation of being mentally intruded was back.

"You don't sleep too good, do you?" he said, more of a statement than a question. "Those dreams are pretty vivid. And-"

" _How are you doing this?_ " I asked, almost shouting.

Manic didn't look at me for another two hours after that.

XXX

Over a week passed. We had nailed down our destination, our old house, and had almost arrived. We had stopped off in the small town we remembered visiting as toddlers, although most of it had changed beyond recognition.

"I'm telling you, the lake was to the left!" Manic pointed at the sheet of ice that seemed to be a lot smaller than I remembered.

"Manic, the lake was at Uncle Chuck's. We were deeper in the forest."

"Well, Miss 'Wiser-Than-Thou', how do you propose we get to our 'house'?"

I shivered in the cold and squinted into the distance, thinking. "Maybe we should wait until the snow lightens up a little bit…"

"Fine." Manic crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, whipping out his drumsticks and tapping absentmindedly on his lap.

As we drove farther from the town and deeper into the forest, I glanced to my right.

You know those scenes in those movies where an adult is in their childhood home and have flashbacks of when they were little? Well, I had one of those- but not as happy and full of laughter. It was more of running through trees and screaming as killer bees try and shoot me to death.

I shook my head and focused back on the road. _Don't think about the negatives… find a positive_!

 _I'm at my childhood neighborhood where my parents were murdered._

 _And where I discovered my love of fashion!_

 _And where Maurice was separated from our family, supposedly dead._

 _Okay, something else… I'm with my brother, who I thought I may never see again!_

 _Who is also a thief._

 _And a gangster._

 _And a liar._

 _Okay, no more of that, me._

Manic snapped me back into the present with a sudden, "Hey, look! The lake is frozen over! Do you think we can go ice skating?"

"Do you know how to ice skate?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Then why would you recommend it?"

"Because I believe that I'm destined to be a magnificent figure skater. Watch and be amazed at my natural abilities on ice!" Manic opened the door of the car and hopped out. I rolled my eyes, but grabbed my winter coat and followed. I watched him jump onto the ice, slipping and sliding like crazy but somehow managing to keep his balance.

"S-see? Nothing to it!" He grinned cockily, taking short, wobbly strokes across the frozen lake. I was still skeptical.

But it did look like fun…

Tentatively, I stepped onto the ice, almost immediately falling. It took a while for me to get used to the slippery surface, but I was beginning to get the hang of it. Maybe skating was harder when you wore actual skates. Soon, I was gliding around with ease, reveling in the astounded and rather envious gaze of my brother.

"Okay, there's no way you could have just picked up skating _this_ fast. How'd you do it?" he demanded.

I smiled. "Just naturally gifted, I guess."

"Show off."

I glided past him, grinning smugly. "Jealous, brother dear?"

His features broke into a smile. "Not at all."

The rest of our afternoon was spent skating, and even though I hate to admit it… I was having a lot of fun. We mostly stayed on the edges of the river at first, but eventually made our way out near the middle. That was our big mistake.

Manic was right in the center, waving his arms around wildly in a failing attempt not to fall. I watched a little farther off, growing more and more amused at his struggle to maintain balance. I didn't have to wait long before he fell- again. It seemed to hurt his pride a little when I started laughing.

"Go ahead, laugh all you want. See if I care." he grumbled, but I could tell that he thought this was pretty funny too.

"H-here," I said, still shaking with laughter. "Let me show you." I skated over to where he had fallen and extended a hand to help him up when I suddenly felt an overwhelming bout of intuition. I looked down at where I was standing and felt my heart skip a beat.

"Manic." I said slowly. "Don't move."

"What? Why…" He looked up at me for a second and his eyes widened. "Oh. Oh crap."

Below us, the thin ice was cracking fast. And not just little hairline cracks, either- huge ones. The kind you fall through.

"What do we do?" said Manic quickly and quietly, as if he were afraid that the slightest noise might trigger the ice into breaking.

"I don't know! Why are you asking _me?_ "

"Because you're the smart one!"

"Why do I have to be the smart one?"

"Because _I'm not!_ "

"Well, you're gonna have to be, because I- _Manic!_ "

Almost before I could react, the thin sheet of ice gave out, Manic falling into the freezing waters below. His head went under for three terrifying seconds, but quickly bobbed back up again. I plunged my arms into the water and grabbed Manic, lifting him up. He gasped and sputtered, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. In my mind, I ran through all the information I had about cold weather. Vaguely, I remembered an emergency preparedness class that briefly covered winter safety.

"Manic, stop breathing." I ordered.

It seemed at first that he didn't hear me, so repeated myself, but louder. Needless to say, he was… surprised.

" _Have you lost your mind?_ "

"You're just gonna have to trust me! Take a deep breath and don't let it out until we're above the water!"

"Wha-" he sputtered in disbelief. " _You're gonna drop me?_ "

"No, I'm going down with you!"

Manic opened his mouth to protest when, just as I had predicted, the ice below me broke, sending us both back into the water. I saw him quickly suck in a breath and did the same right before my head went under.

The initial shock nearly knocked the wind from my lungs, but I managed to keep my breath. I could feel us sinking and for once, I regretted wearing a heavy coat- the waterlogged fabric was dragging me and Manic down. I had three or four other jackets underneath, so I shook off the coat and began swimming upwards towards shore. I kept Manic in my grip, my arm around his waist as we swam as quickly as possible to the edge of the half-frozen ice.

We burst through the surface of the water, gasping for breath. I turned to Manic, whose lips had turned an alarming shade of purplish blue.

"Ok-kay, d-don't p-panic," I tried to say as calmly as possible, even though inside I was screaming.

" _Panic? Who's panicking? I'm not panicking! I'm just freezing to death in the icy pits of doo-"_

"MANIC!" I took a deep breath, "Just c-c-calm d-down! We'll be f-f-fine if we _st-stay c-calm._ "

" _Easy for_ _ **you**_ _to say!_ "

"Calm. Down! Because when _you_ freak out, I want to freak out, and that is the last thing we want to do! So calm down and just _trust me!_ "

Manic opened his mouth as if to argue, but closed it and simply nodded his head, if a bit reluctantly. I paddled over to the ice and put my arms up on the edge. As carefully as possible, I lifted my upper body up onto the ice and began to kick upward. Manic was to my left, trying to copy me. I finally was up and out of the water enough to roll onto the ice. I continued rolling for about ten feet before hesitantly standing up. The ice held.

"M-manic, tr-try to get onto-to the ice, th-then r-r-roll towards m-me!" I shouted. He didn't reply, but the look on his face was enough to tell me that he was petrified- or maybe he was just so cold by now that he had frozen. I crawled a little closer towards the edge, careful to stay away from the weak spots. Up close, I could see his arms and hands were shaking, and I had a feeling it wasn't all because of the water temperature.

"M-m-manic, p-please… calm d-down." I said, trying to be as gentle as possible while keeping my shivering under control. "I c-c-can h-help y-you."

" _How_ , S-s-sonia?" he demanded, his voice desperate and shaky from cold. "How c-c-can you _p-possibly_ h-h-help me?"

"Just d-d-do as I s-say, okay? You'll b-b-b-be just f-f-fine! I _pr-promise!_ "

Manic narrowed his eyes and stared at me for a moment, and that feeling of intrusion came over me. He sighed.

"... What do I d-do?"

"All right, if you c-can, try to li-lift yourself onto the top of the ice, on your-your stomach." Slowly, he did as I instructed. I could see him struggling and wanted to help him, but was afraid that I might slip or be pulled down back into the water. One of his hands reached behind him for a moment, then emerged with a black switchblade. He flicked out the blade and stabbed it into the ice, using it as an anchor. I began scooting farther back towards shore to give him room. "Okay, now r-roll over to me. Go slow!"

Soon, both of us made it off the ice and back onto the snow. I felt tired and dizzy and very, very cold. Neither of us really felt like talking; I wasn't even sure if I had the strength for that anymore.

We ambled back to the van in silence. I turned on the car and cranked up the heat, but all that blew out was air cold enough to turn our soaking clothes into popsicles. Quickly, I shut it off and cursed as loudly as I could, something I almost never did. Manic raised an eyebrow.

"W-w-we… are g-going… to _freeze."_ I whispered, hardly able to hear myself. I slumped down to the floor and tucked my head between my knees, trying in vain to get warm. Behind me, I could hear Manic shuffling around, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

Soon I felt a tap on my shoulder; I looked up. Manic was grinning half-heartedly, still shivering but in dry clothes.

"G-get ch-ch-changed. I-I've g-got a-a-an id-d-dea." His blue eyes shone bright with mischief… or was that just how he looked when he was happy? I got up and changed into dry clothes as quickly as I could manage, although I was shaking so much it was almost impossible to put anything on right.

Manic had climbed into the front seat behind the driver's wheel. I sat down on the bed, not really caring at the moment whether or not he had a driver's license.

"S-s-so… wh-what d-d-do w-w-we d-do?" I shivered and pulled a blanket around me. It was warm, but not warm enough. It felt like my insides had frozen solid.

Manic didn't answer me but started the car. I stared out the window, watching the trees blur away into buildings. Soon, we were back in town. Manic parked the car and came into the back.

"C-come on," he said, his voice still wavering. Reluctantly, I followed him out of the van, my blanket still wrapped tightly around me.

Manic led us down to a convenience store and I thought we might go inside, but instead we walked around to the back. He searched around for a minute, brightening when he saw a trash can.

"P-perfect!" he said. "Th-this'll w-w-work gr-great."

"Wh-what w-w-will?"

Manic felt around in his jacket for something and his face fell. He mumbled something incoherent and turned around back to the store, muttering something about being right back. I didn't care. About three minutes later he returned with a cigarette lighter, two small towels, and two water bottles in hand. I knew he didn't have any money on him.

Without a word, he scouted around the back of the store until he found a stack of old, ratty newspapers. He ripped off a few pages and crumpled them into balls, tossing them in a stack on the ground. Once he had made about six or seven newspaper wads, he carried them over to the trash can and opened the lid. One by one, he tucked each ball into a corner of the can and overtop the rubbish, then lit it all aflame with the cigarette lighter. Soon, the contents of the trash can were burning, sending a wave of warm heat over me like a hot bath. I scooted in closer to the flames and tucked my knees up to my chest to conserve heat, not caring how bad the fire smelled, just that for once this winter, I felt truly warm.

We sat in amiable silence for I don't know how long, soaking up the heat like a sponge. Soon, I noticed that I had stopped shivering.

"Here," said Manic, tossing me a water bottle wrapped in a towel. It was warm to the touch.

"Press it against your neck and chest. That way, you won't get frostbite," he said. I did, and it felt heavenly.

My hands which had once been bright red from the cold, had warmed up and returned to their normal coloring and weren't quite as stiff and painful anymore. Manic's lips were no longer blue, and while I had once felt disinterested, I now felt a little more alert.

"Hey," I said. Manic looked up. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." He went back to staring at the fire.

"How'd… how'd you know what to do?"

"Let's just say that I've been in a lot of weird situations and I've learned to take care of myself."

I paused. "Like…?"

"I've been thrown in the river once or twice. Plus I've been homeless since I was ten, so learning how to not get hypothermia was kind of a priority."

Manic said this with hardly any emotion, as if it were the most normal thing in the world to be a homeless teenager. Part of me was upset at that… but the other part was curious.

"... What was it like?" I asked tentatively.

"What was what like?"

"You know…" I had no idea how to say this tactfully. "Being… by yourself. Having to fend for yourself all that time."

Manic didn't talk for a minute, an unreadable expression on his face. I thought for a second that he might not have heard me, then he sighed.

"It was… hard." he said. "Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all bad, being homeless. I never had to worry about paying rent to anyone, and my buddies in the gang were always willing to help me out if I got in a tight spot, but…" He trailed off, lost for words.

A moment of silence passed. I decided to break it. "Is that… is that why you started… y'know… stealing?"

He nodded. "Pretty much, yeah. I mean, it was steal or starve, right?"

"I guess."

Slowly but surely, I think I was beginning to understand him a little more. "Listen…" I started. "I don't like it that you steal, but… I think I get why."

"Why do you think?" he asked skeptically.

"Well… You didn't really know how else to not die. And I suppose you've always had a knack for robbing people blind." I smiled slightly, "Remember that time in third grade when you took Bobby's yo-yo from his pocket?"

"Chaos, that was a good day! Or it would have been, if he hadn't beaten me up afterwards."

"He was so mad… but it was really funny watching him squirm." I giggled at the memory.

Manic grinned back at me. He hesitated then gently asked, "How about you? Where'd you learn how to escape from a frozen lake?"

"A book."

"I'm serious."

"So am I. I loved the library. It practically became a second home after you…" I trailed off and looked away. "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?"

Manic looked a little embarrassed and uncomfortable. "I… I thought you'd be mad at me, and try and stop me."

"Well… I think I probably would have tried to stop you-"

"See?"

"-but did it ever cross your mind that I might have wanted to go _with_ you?"

Manic froze in place. He blinked a few times before asking, "... Why?"

"Well…" I rubbed my hands together and brought them closer to the flames. "Because you're my brother. We're triplets, Manic- er, _twins_ at the moment. I wanted to stay with you. After Maurice… I guess I always thought we'd be the three musketeers or something."

Manic grinned, "All for one, and one for all?"

"Exactly."

We fell silent again, rubbing our hands close to the fire.

"Hey, sis?" said Manic.

"Yeah?"

"What… what do you think Maurice has been up to all these years?"

I frowned slightly and tried to think back to when we were kids. "Well, maybe he's a runner. He always did love to run."

"Yeah, that was annoying, trying to keep up with him. I had so many asthma attacks back then."

"Say, what ever happened to your asthma?" I asked. I had noticed that didn't seem to have as much trouble breathing like he used to.

"Grew out of it, I guess. Or just got used to all the smog."

"That makes sense."

"What else did we like to do again? I remember the cherry suckers Dad brought home from the post office every day. Those were good."

"Ugh, I _hated_ them. Lemon is so much better. ...Hey, remember how we used to play in the forest? I was the princess and you were my knights in shining armor!"

"And hide and seek! I loved that game. But Maurice would always avoid us and run from hiding spot to hiding spot. Which totally counted as cheating, by the way."

"Remember Mom's bread? Arg, the smell of it baking… that was just heaven."

"Do you have the recipe?"

"No, I think it burned in the fire."

"Dang it… Remember story time every night?"

"Uh, _duh._ Dad's voice for the little elf was always my favorite."

Manic pinched his nose and began to talk in a high, squeaky voice, "Hello, Sonia! I'm Cookie the Elf!"

"Manic!" I said, half stern and half laughing.

"What? You said you liked it!"

"Oh, brother…"

"Yes?"

"Would you quit doing that?"

He laughed and fell silent again. I smiled and stared into the flames. It was really nice to relive old memories- good memories. Back when there was no pain, no loss, and with the whole family. Mom, Dad, Maurice, Manic and me- and Uncle Chuck, on holidays. Just fun, love and-

The image of small yellow fox with two tails suddenly popped into my mind. He looked to be in a horrible state of health with bruises, cuts, and abrasions. That image quickly shifted into a snowy day, with an older version of Maurice walking next to the the two-tailed fox, who was now in perfect health. Then it turned into an image of Maurice sitting across from a very official-looking man with bi-colored eyes and a stern expression.

The image shifted one more time, to a much older Maurice sitting around a Christmas tree with eight or nine others who looked like his friends. Their faces were blurry and unclear, and I couldn't hear a words they were saying, but they were laughing and talking… like a happy family.

I blinked and gasped for air, realizing that I had been holding my breath this whole time. I looked up at Manic, who looked a little spooked.

Hesitantly, I looked up at Manic. "Did… did you just see a two-tailed fox?"

"And the creepy guy with blue and brown eyes? Yep." Manic sounded just as freaked out as I felt.

I shuddered, but not from the chill of the wind. Maurice… that was him. We had seen him. He was a lot older than six, obviously- he looked to be around our age. He was out there.

A sense of relief and hope flooded me. "Manic, don't you get it? We _felt_ him!"

"So…?" he asked.

" _So,_ if we felt him this time, we can feel him again! Don't you see? This is our ticket to finding Maurice!"

"You mean the weird sensing thing?"

"Yes! The weird sensing thing! It's _perfect!_ " But just as quickly as the excitement had come, it drained away, replaced by fear and worry.

"But…" I said anxiously. "How were we able to sense him? Were we… were we able to like, read his mind or something? That's impossible. Were my powers able to reach and and form some kind of psychic connection? Oh, Chaos… Manic, do you think this was just a fluke? What if we're never able to sense him again? What if-"

" _Sonia._ " said Manic firmly, interrupting my chain of neurotic rambling. "Breathe."

I took a few deep breaths, forcing myself to calm down.

"That's better," he said. "You… you really don't need to stress about this. This wasn't a fluke."

"How do _you_ know that? This could've just been a one-time thing! I _know_ that I can't read minds. That's not how my powers work! Past and future, sure, but memories? No! So how did we-"

"Because _I can!_ "

I stopped, turning to look at him. "Come again?"

Manic looked like he was going to be sick. With a great effort, he forced out the words.

"I can…" He gulped and gritted his teeth. "I… can read minds."

Silence.

Very uncomfortable silence.

"... _**What?**_ "

He nodded, refusing to to look me in the eye. "Yup. I… I don't know exactly how it works. All I know is that I can look at you and almost automatically see stuff like your favorite color, your age, what you're thinking or feeling… everything! Physical touch makes it worse. If I touch someone, I could know really private stuff about them, like their name, their social security number, what meds they're on… you name, I know it. I could frikkin' steal their identity if I wanted to- _which I don't._ "

I narrowed my eyes. "Prove it."

"Prove that I don't want to steal someone's identity? Um-"

"No, that you can read minds!" I said, exasperated. "I'm thinking of a number between one and ten. What number is it?"

He rolled his eyes. "You aren't thinking of _any_ number. You're thinking of pancakes. Happy?"

My jaw dropped. He… was completely right.

In my head, I started to scream.

"See, see?" he said, frustrated. "I knew you'd react like this! I swear, I'm not crazy!... At least, I don't think I am."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I blurted out.

"I just did."

" _Before_ now, genius."

"I…" He trailed off, mumbling something inaudible.

"What?"

Manic looked like he was going to explode, but he finally opened his mouth. "I just didn't trust you, okay?" he said, almost too quiet to hear.

I felt hurt. "What do you mean, you 'didn't trust me'?"

"Whaddaya think I mean? I didn't like you much. You've been kind of a douchebag, honestly. It was pretty uncool of you to force me to leave the city on some wild goose chase to find our used-to-be-dead brother. I was mad at you. Heck, I'm still kinda mad at you. Just… not as much now? I dunno. It's weird."

I put the pieces together in my mind. He knew how I felt when I broke up with Knuckles… and he knew about how that guy was going to hold up a convenience store. And the feeling of intrusion I got whenever he looked at me for too long… it all fit.

"... Are you reading my mind _right now?_ " I asked, backing away slightly.

He hesitated. "No."

"Yes, you are." I tried to figure out how to throw up some mental shields, but had no idea if they were working or not.

"Yes, I am. Gimme a break, sis, I can't help it! This stuff is hard to control!"

All of a sudden, something clicked in my head. "Wait, can you like, read memories?"

Manic scratched his head. "Kind of…? That's pretty difficult. I'd have to focus on you for a couple minutes before I got anything but thoughts and emotions and stuff."

" _ **THAT'S IT!**_ "

Manic almost fell backwards in surprise. "Uh… what's it?"

"This is it! _This_ is how we were able to sense Maurice! Somehow, we were able to like, combine our powers or something and use them to see the memories of Maurice! I don't know how, but- but… Manic, this is _huge!_ "

"Man," said Manic, his features splitting into a grin big enough to match mine. "I haven't seen you this excited about anything since we were eight."

"Can you blame me? We're one step closer to finding our brother. This isn't a blind search anymore!"

Manic smiled knowingly and rubbed his hands closer to the fire. "Merry Christmas, Sonia."

"... Merry Christmas, Manic."

 **Hey y'all! Okay… so it's been like… three weeks since the last update. I'd like to say I have an excuse, but I can't other then this-** **Poor Halo has been practically typing this by herself because I sort of don't like this part of the story. It's nothing personal to the characters or even what's going on but after all that excitement I'm finding this REALLY boring. BECAUSE APPARENTLY WE'RE BACK TO BUILDING RELATIONS. Ugh… I'm so sorry, but I am done with Relations at the moment… at least with these guys. The problem with having a story planned is you know how it ends and you love the ending and in order to get to it you have to get through the ENTIRE FREAKING STORY WHICH YOU CANNOT HAVE WITHOUT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.**

 **Good news! The plot picks up in a few chapters, so I should be able to push through this boredom block. Hopefully soon.** **And to try and speed things up, Halo and I are now typing two chapters at once. We'll see if that works out.**

 **Review, please!**

 **And speaking of reviews… Oh boy, this is going to take a while, so bear with me. Scroll through and find your name if need be and skip everyone (I like reading the comments to other people personally because it sometimes gives hints to future plotlines, but since there are so many unanswered reviews, I wouldn't bother this time).**

 **ultimateCCC: Uh… What?**

 **Autumn: I'm glad you like how long this is going to be. Bringing Bernice and Frank back in was very fun for Halo and I. Expect to see them in the future, even if it is only mentioned or a brief appearance. (;**

 **gwencarson126: Aww… Thanks! And I'm doing pretty good. Hope you're doing well too.**

 **StarlightSparks: YAY! AWESOME CHAPTER. Yes, Manic stole Knuckles board. Sonia will be very mad when she finds out… Everytime I see the words '70 chapters' I just gulp and start praying I make it. And I'm glad you're excited, because I'm certainly excited.**

 **Luna Hedgefox: First, the first review hello: HI! NICE TO MEET YOU! Okay now that I'm done with that I can get down to business. Because you left a review on pretty much every chapter, I'm only going to touch on the important points. 1st point: please try not to curse in your future reviews. Thanks. 2nd point: Locke is from the Archie comics and I really liked that character. Locke is also shown in 'Miles from Home' (MFH) and is a little more explained in that story. Highly recommend you read it. 3rd point: Silver and Shadow with Telekenisis… okay, that's a long point. So to dumb it down: I have this little headcanon that Shadow actually has a lot more Chaos abilities then we actually know about: one is similar to Telekinesis, but it isn't as strong as Silver's… if that made sense. Let me know and I'll try and explain better. 4th point: Alex Prower- look at MFH. 5th point: Since when was Robotnik dignified? 6th point: Sonia and Shadow similarities… *starts whistling and twirling fingers in hair* Don't know what you're talking about. 7th point: I mean the really, really, really, really, really, really, IN DETAIL kisses. *throws up* Just- NO. 8th point: Manic and Rouge. Read about it once and thought, eh… it could work. I personally ship Rouge and Knuckles unless Sonia is around. And since I didn't want Manic to be by himself and if you do it correctly Manouge gets very cute, Halo and I decided to do it. 9th point: HOLY CHAOS… that is a** _ **long**_ **ship rant. I couldn't even read it on my email account because it was cut off! Um… *reads twice and scratches head* I think I understand…? Sorry, shiping is one of those things I'm not super invested in. I don't ship a lot of things REALLY HARD or anything. I think Sonamy and Hiccstrid are really the only two that pop into my mind of those are "set in stone" but other then that… whatever floats your boat (or ship). 10th point: I quote movies and books a lot in my writing so expect some more. 11th point: Sonic is not Sonic's real name. That's clarified in MFH. 12th point: I don't think anyone blames Shadow for blowing up the TV. 13th point: I hate the number 13 and cannot believe I got to that number of points. 14th point: Okay, calm down. Not everyone betrayed Manic… just that one idiot. but yes, I cried too. NO TOUCHING THE MANIAC. 15th point: Get used to that feeling. It happens a lot in this story. 16th point: Sonia has a temper. That is for sure. 17th point: Never mind. You figured out the whole 'Maurice' thing. 18th point: *facepalm* Leave it to me to get it off by ONE number. Ugh… 19th point: You have won the contest for longest response I have had to make to a reviewer. Please don't make me do that again. XD XD XD XD XD XD**

 **MeowthKitty: Yeah… that would have helped the situation A LOT.**

 **SonicBoomFan4000: Tails is 11. Sonic is 16. So similar, but not quite the same. Okay, random comment from me: your review made me very happy. Not sure why, but it just did. So :D :D :D all around to you. I'll look at your stories when I can (if I can… oh boy the time for reading fanfics keeps getting harder and harder to find…) So glad you're enjoying the chapter and hope you continue to enjoy it. YAY HALFWAY POINT!**

 **Quantum27: I LOVE WORLDBUILDING. In fact, I get so caught up in it, I sometimes forget the plot (hence why I still haven't finished an original works…). Religion… Okay, so the only reason I brought it up was because I was super curious about the 'religions' in the fandom. I mean… I don't think they have Christianity or Judaism, but hey! Maybe I'm wrong! So I just came up with my own little… chart, I guess. LOL. I was very similar on my original fanfictions (which are horrid, don't read them. I should really take those down…). Just type and upload. TA-DA! Pre-writing is actually rather fun for me. And very true, Christmas comes every year. Maybe I'll just post it seperately to have a 'Christmas Story'**

 **MazzyBooks: You just sit there and want to strangle them because they LITERALLY ARE STANDING WITHIN FEET OF THE OTHER AND THEY DON'T KNOW IT. Yeah. It is is VERY frustrating.**

 **KyubiMaster9: Who doesn't love Christmas? Don't answer that. Um… HAVE YOU BEEN LOOKING AT MY OUTLINE? XD Just kidding. Knuckles doesn't beat Manic up.**

 **FairGamer: I generally update once a week. Sorry! It's taken forever to type this chapter and finish it up.**

 **msyafinas: Dear msyafinas, I love how you started your review! It made me smile! Halo and I are so glad you are enjoying the story and we hope you continue to read and enjoy it. We will definitely continue it. Wonderful to make your acquaintance and hope to see you around!**

 **Gabiola652: Wait hold on a second, I need to clarify something. Three weeks ago, you found Miles from Home and read it. Then you read this story. Now you're on this chapter. My respect. And yes, it will be long. *ducks behind Shadow and peeks around* Woah… that review took an unexpected turn really quick. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME HERE IS YOUR UPDATE.**


	36. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou

**Okay, so less building relations! IN FACT, we skip quite a few things in the whole 'building relations' department with Sonia and Manic. Part of the reason is just because it literally would take forever to map out and no one wants to read (or type) that. Another reason is just… it takes a long time.**

 **Reviews! (which Halo will be covering this time)**

 _ **Afterburngaming: Aw, you're sweet~**_

 _ **AreAllTheNamesTaken: The plot will be kicking in VERY soon, like in only a couple of chapters. (SPOILER ALERT)**_

 _ **Shapeshifter 14: It'll happen… Eventually. (hehehe)**_

 _ **ultimateCCC: Yep, they're pretty close… relatively. (HAHAHA)**_

 _ **Autumn: Um… that was a Sonia chapter...**_

 _ **StarlightSparks: Aw, thanks!**_

 **Onward!**

 _ ***Suggested Listening: "I Bet My Life" by Imagine Dragons***_

 _ **NOTE: THIS TAKES PLACE 2 DAYS BEFORE THEIR BIRTHDAY (Which would make this be on June 21)**_

Manic's POV:

 _ **Six Months Later**_

" _MANIC, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"_

" _GET IN LINE!"_

Sonia's death threats _really_ weren't helping me concentrate as I steered our hijacked motorcycle between alleyways and hairpin turns, all the while dodging bullets. You'd think that after six whole months of learning to get along, she'd stop shouting so much. Then again, Sonia tend to get pretty shouty in high-stress situations, and you don't get much more high-stress than being chased on a stolen motorcycle while a trained assassin who tends to hold a grudge is out for your blood.

"I'm gonna make you pay for _everything you stole_ , Hedgehog!" screamed Nack as he picked up speed. We'd probably be dead by now if Sonia hadn't been using her intuition thing to navigate us out of harm's way.

I twisted the handlebars and made an illegal U-turn at a light, Sonia's grip around my waist growing steadily tighter as she shouted directions. I swerved left and right, dodging entire barrages of bullets. Maybe coming back to Westopolis was a bad idea.

The only reason I suggested we come back at all was because in one of our "sensing sessions", as I'd come to call them, we saw Maurice on a street that I recognized from when the Strikers were based in Westopolis. We had come back to my old base so I could call in some favors, only to run into several people who wanted me dead- specifically Nack the Weasel (or "Fang the Sniper", as he's usually called. Not a nice guy, to tell you the truth).

Sonia yelled at me to make a hairpin turn at the next left; I did as she instructed, narrowly evading a slug aimed for my head. I pressed my foot down on the gas and accelerated forward, rocketing straight for a ramp.

In the blink of an eye, we were airborne, seeming almost in slow motion. We landed on the roof of a two-story deli; With no more road, I let up on the gas and skidded to a halt. We disembarked the motorcycle and abandoned on top of the roof, the wheels practically smoking.

I leapt to a fire escape and began to climb, Sonia right behind me. We scaled about three and a half stories before reaching the top of the next building over, when we began to run. A few of the buildings had plywood boards or scrap wood on top to create a makeshift bridge, but for the most part, we were jumping between the spaces.

It was exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. Mostly, it brought me back to my gang days when running for my life was a once a week event. Nice to know that I hadn't lost my touch.

Soon, both of us were panting for breath and needed to take a break. We crouched down behind a fuse box on a random roof, staying as low as possible.

"What… the _heck…_ did… you steal from him?" she gasped.

"Yeesh, what _didn't_ I steal from him?"

"You're exaggerating."

"Look sis, the guy's a douchebag. He cheated me on a deal once, and in a fit of insanity, I stole all the furniture in his house, his bike, his hat supply, his girlfriend-"

"His _girlfriend?_ "

"And his sister."

Sonia facepalmed and began mumbling something into her hands that I couldn't make out. I didn't really see the problem- sure, Nic dumped me a week later, but at least I made Nack mad that I was dating his twin. Needless to say, I kind of regret that now.

"You know what…" she groaned. "I'm not even surprised at this point. I honestly don't wanna know _anything_ else about this situation. Let's just... stick with the notion that he doesn't like you and he wants you dead."

"That works."

I peeked up over the fuse box; the coast was clear. I motioned to for Sonia to follow me as I darted across to the next building over. We kept hopping rooftops until we had pretty much made it out of the ghetto and closer to uptown, where we had stashed the van for safekeeping. We both jumped into the front seat and revved up the engine, heading towards the freeway out of town. Once we were safely out of the city borders, I was finally able to stop holding my breath. My heart was going a million miles an hour.

I looked over at Sonia and saw that she was just as shaken as I was, if not more. Understandable. After all, it's not every day that you're forced to steal some random guy's bike in order to escape a man who's only goal at the moment is to pump you full of lead. I used to get stressed about that too, when this first started happening to me. Now? Pssh. Puh- _leaze._ It's all good.

Okay, so maybe I'm a little freaked out too.

Ever since we started helping each other survive last Christmas, I'll admit, I've come to appreciate Sonia's powers more. We've been in _a lot_ of sticky situations since then, very few of which I probably would have survived if it hadn't been for her. And she'd probably be dead if it wasn't for me, to be honest.

The trail to finding Maurice has gone cold more than once since we started our search. The only reason we've even made it this far at all is because of our regular sensing sessions- when we mentally combine our powers to pinpoint a location of where Maurice might be. The problem is, we aren't always able to see the present. Sometimes, we'd see him at about age ten or eleven and fighting robots (I'm not questioning it), and more often than not, that same two-tailed fox kid would pop up. He and Maurice look like they're really close.

Every now and then, we'd get a definite clue of where Maurice might be, but half the time it turned out to be only a memory of his that we misread as being the present- such as today. We had both been so sure that he might've been in Westopolis, or even just passing through, but the most likely conclusion was that it was only a recent event. If he was there, we would've been able to sense him.

I looked over at Sonia and immediately felt the disappointment and confusion she was trying to hide. Once upon a time, I would've had to really concentrate to get any kind of reading on her (she's got some serious mental walls), but now… I could tell that she trusted me. Sonia's not the type to put her guard down for just anyone.

I remember that at the beginning of our search, I kinda-sorta-maybe-in-a-way hated her a little bit. She was pushy and bossy and _way_ too condescending for my taste. I must have told her a million times how much of a jerk she was back then. Key words: "back then". Sonia's gotten a lot more relaxed ever since, thanks to yours truly. These days, she listens more and bosses less, and yeah, she'll still threaten to kill me when I'm being stupid, but she trusts me. And I trust her. After all, it's a little hard to go through all we have together without learning to trust your partner in crime.

"Hey Sonia," I said, trying to lift the mood. She looked up expectantly.

"What?"

"Remember that time we had to bust out of jail?"

Sonia froze and glared at me, gritting her teeth. "... Why in the world are you bringing that up _now?"_

I grinned. "Just pointing out that this wasn't the worst adventure we've ever had, was it?"

She looked like she was really trying hard to stay mad, but eventually she cracked a smile. "I guess not."

"That's the spirit. … Now _please_ step on the gas, I want to get out of here as fast as possible."

We sped down the freeway at seventy miles per hour, and soon, Westopolis was only a few lights in the background. I could finally breathe easy.

XXX

Sonia's POV:

Manic and I have learned quite a bit over the past six months. Actually, we've learned _a lot_ over the past six months. The top information is as follows:

One: Maurice has moved around A LOT. At one point, I thought I saw him _in space_. Manic and I both agreed that was highly impossible and dismissed that vision, but still. SPACE.

Two: Manic got in _way_ more trouble than I've ever imagined, and after our first two or three life-endangering exploits, I decided to stop asking for the are just some things I'd rather not know about.

Three: Prison is some place I will never go again. End of story.

I'd been keeping up my new journaling hobby and wrote at least twice a week. It was actually rather fun and a little amusing to look at the trouble Manic and I got into. If we got rid of the run-ins with the law and the bullets whizzing past my head, I would have actually enjoyed most of our adventures.

My phone buzzed and I glanced down at the screen. Manic was getting lunch from a sub-sandwich shop and I was left to guard the van. My message screen flashed and I tried to ignore the name on the screen.

Knuckles hadn't texted me in over three months. It was actually rather surprising he did text me. After a few minutes my curiosity finally took over and I opened the message.

It didn't make any sense, just a bunch of letters and numbers. Knuckles must have dropped his phone or something…

Sadly, I deleted the message. The little hopeful part of me had really, really been wishing for another text from Knuckles. I don't blame him at all for stopping, though- I hadn't been able to bring myself to answer a single one.

I gulped down the lump in my throat and clicked off my phone. Manic glanced over at me, staring for a minute before a look of realization crossed his face.

"No way. He texted you?" he asked. I nodded. It was at times like these that I was really grateful for Manic's mind-reading thing; I didn't exactly feel like talking, but he understood anyway.

That's the thing about Manic- he is quite literally the most understanding person _ever._ I had never met another guy who was so in touch with emotions. It's nice, not having to talk, but having him get it anyway. Then again… it is really annoying when you realize the reason why is because he can _read your mind._ No private thoughts to myself anymore.

Come to think of it, that is probably why he hasn't tried to read my journal. He just cuts out the middleman and reads my mind. Great…

"Sorry, I can't help it!"

"I know you can't! But _please_ try to!"

"I _am_ trying! Not looking at you helps a little, but…" He shrugged casually, "Look, I've got no idea how to control my powers. You oughta know that by now."

Had to give Manic that point. I didn't know how to control my powers either. Dodge bullets? Easy. Control my visions? Not in a million years.

"Maybe we should take a class…"

I rolled my eyes, "Oh _sure_ , Manic! Great idea! I'll sign us up for ' _How to Control Your Freakish Powers 101'_ right away!"

"Geez, you've gotten sarcastic."

"And you've gotten weirder."

"I can live with that."

We both grinned at each other. It was strange; we hadn't stopped bickering, but we had stopped fighting. It's hard to explain- it was like our constant ribbing each other was how we communicated.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" he asked, twirling a drumstick between his fingers.

"Well, since Westopolis didn't work out the way you said it would, I thought we could…" I trailed off. No, that was stupid.

"What?"

"Well… I thought we could go back to our old house again." I said quietly.

"We already looked there, remember?" he said, puzzled. "Last Christmas? Our house was just a pile of moldy scrap wood."

"Yeah, I know…" I said. "It's just… I had a dream."

He perked up. "What? What'd you see?"

"It was pretty… blurry… but I'm pretty sure I saw the remains of our house, and… some sort of cave. I've got a feeling we need to go there."

He shrugged, smiling. "Hey, you're the fortune teller. Direct us to our destiny!"

I grinned and changed gears, steering towards the highway behind us. Having a brother was kind of nice.

XXX

It took a lot less time to drive to our home again. Part of the reason might have been that there was no more annoying snow. The other part may have been that I was allowing Manic to drive- as long as he wasn't doing anything too stupid.

When we did arrive, we avoided the lake (that was a mistake neither of us wanted to repeat), and headed straight for our home's remain.

It was a rather sorry and painful sight. The remains had long been overrun by plants and the wood was charred beyond being called "wood". Charcoal was a more accurate description. Manic and I exchanged looks before getting out of the van. We wandered over to the wreckage and just stared at it for several minutes, each in our own thoughts.

A silent tear managed to escape and I quickly wiped it away. Manic must have noticed or "sensed" it because he put his arm around me and gently squeezed it.

"I miss them too." he said, almost too quiet to hear.

That's all that was said, but I didn't care about anything else. All that mattered is that Manic was right next to me. I didn't know if I could have gotten this far without him.

"Manic… Do you-?"

He suddenly tensed up, "Did you hear that?"

I frowned and strained my ears. Wind rustling through the trees, light waves from the water from any wildlife swimming or drinking, and some song birds deep in the woods talking with one another. "No…"

"There." Manic whirled around and stared in the direction of the lake, leaving me utterly perplexed.

"Manic, what exactly are you hearing?"

He shrugged. "I can't really explain it. But it-" he cut himself off and glared in the direction. "Would you shut up?"

Great… my brother is hearing voices. "Manic, there is nothing- WOAH!"

Manic grabbed my arm and took off in a dead sprint around the lake. I would say that I sensed that he'd do that but… can't say that I did. That alone told me something was wrong. "Manic! Where are we going?"

"Wherever that sound is telling me to go!"

"Manic! Stop!" I yanked my arm away and stopped by the lakeside. The green hedgehog screeched to a halt and looked back at me a bit confused.

"We need to think this through." I rubbed my arm. Chaos, this boy had a tight grip.

Manic rolled his eyes, "Sonia, this thing isn't going to leave me alone until we investigate it."

"But what is it! Manic, it could be some crazy thing that want to kill us!"

I think Manic paused for a moment before snapping his head back around with a growl. "Sonia, I'm sorry. But something tells me we're supposed to find where it's coming from."

Ugh… I hate mystic abilities. With that fact now firmly planted in my mind I waved Manic to lead the way, "O _kay_ … But can we _please_ be careful?"

"Course! When am I _not_ careful?... Don't answer that."

"That isn't reassuring."

Manic lead us all the way around the lake to the small waterfall that Uncle Chuck always warned us to stay away from when we were kids. Although, he never did give a reason why, come to think of it…

I was jolted out of my thoughts as Manic halted on the shore of the lake, near the cascading water. I looked around a little confused on why we stopped. "What?"

"It stopped."

"See? It was probably just your imagine-"

Okay… so here's where everything got really weird. You know that feeling you get when someone is watching you? Well take that emotion and add some sort of 'magnetic pull' towards the person. I looked around the area but no one was there.

"Uh… Sonia?" Manic waved his hand infront of my face, trying to get my attention. "You up there?"

"Shh!"

"Oh, now you're hearing it, aren't you?"

"Manic, what is that?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

I grabbed my head and tried to ignore the feelings. "Do you think it's Maurice?"

Manic hesitated before shaking his head, "It didn't feel like him… but it kind of did at the same time."

I gave him one of my "that-isn't-helpful" looks; he shrugged in return.

My mind was having difficulty focusing at this point. And… I can't really explain why. All of these emotions were a little hectic and very difficult to explain.

I felt a sort of vibration and, almost involuntarily, I felt an urge to move forward. It was too strong to resist. I walked with my arms outstretched, desperately searching for the source of the buzz. As I drew closer and closer to the falls, I could hear Manic behind me asking what the heck I was doing, but I couldn't answer. This was too important.

I walked until I felt that I should stop; in the blurred light reflecting from outside the wall of water, I could make out a stone pillar. I wanted to touch it. My arm seemed to have gained a mind of its own as it lifted itself to the pillar; Slowly, I pressed my palm against the smooth, moist rock, feeling the overwhelming tremors pulse through my body like an electric charge. I saw the stone glow a deep magenta, and my fingers buzzed with energy. Too much energy. I felt ready to pass out.

But as quickly as it came, the feeling passed. I stepped backward, feeling woozy. I glanced over to where the pillar had been; the front had dissolved into an opening. The cave from my dream.

The feeling was gone now, but I felt an insatiable curiosity overcame me; what was in there? There had to be a reason why I had dreamt about this cave… or what was inside it.

"Come on!" I called out to Manic, gesturing to follow me. He peeked in the cave and his eyes widened.

"Uh… no." he said bluntly.

"You were the one who led us to here!"

"No, _you_ were. I just did the first half."

"Same difference. Let's go."

"No!"

"Why not?"

He facepalmed, groaning. "You've seen the Montana badger movies, right?... Why am I asking you this, of course you have. Anyways, does this _not_ look like the opening to some ancient native death trap to you?"

"Not really, no." I took one step into the cave and immediately jumped back as a spear shot by my head. Thank goodness my instincts were working again.

"You were saying?" he said flatly, crossing his arms.

"Oh, come on! You love danger!"

"No, I really don't! Not loving danger is what keeps me _alive_ , sis! I am _not_ going in there!"

I sighed, pressing my thumb and forefinger against the bridge of my nose. "Look, Manic…" I started. "Think about it this way: You've dragged me to nearly every city in the nation so far to look for Maurice. Some of them were just us following leads, but some were because you thought you had a feeling. _I_ have a feeling that we need to look in there. I don't know why, I just… do. Can you please trust me on this?"

He looked like he might want to run in the opposite direction, but he finally relented, "You go first. And warn me when there's a trap!"

I smiled and started in. "Well, duh. I'm not going to let you get skewered- **duck-** in the head."

Manic yelped and dropped down on his stomach as a spear shot over his head, piercing the wall opposite of him. "Okay! Question! Why didn't that activate for you?"

"Because I didn't step on the tile that activated it." Manic groaned and started to watch where I stepped after that.

To be completely honest, I was so excited. I'd always wanted to go on a dangerous archeological dig because, why not? Yeah, it's not quite the same as the movies, but the entire time I took pictures of the runes on the wall, determined to translate them. I rambled for about five minutes about how amazing this was, Manic giving his "Uh-huh's" and "Yeahs" half-heartedly.

But as we got deeper, I had to stop jabbering because most of my words became directions of warnings. "Duck, jump, left, right, stop, go," became my main vocabulary, with Manic cursing behind me as he complied.

Ancient traps can be really strange… Some are closer to vague superstitions, but others are more like "giant drop of doom into complete and utter death". I think I had to jump at least three times over some sort of hole, either into sharp spikes or just a bottomless pit. We had a few poisoned arrows that were avoided by sprinting and diving. And of course there was the fun boulder that almost crushed us. I think it was starting to get to Manic, though- I'd never seen him this on edge before.

We finally came to a halt outside a large stone slab, covered in hundreds of tiny runes. "Oh my gosh... This is so cool!"

"Ugh…" Manic pulled two arrows out from his backpack from a deathtrap about fifty feet back and grimaced, "I wouldn't call it 'cool', per say. Terrifying, yes. Potentially fatal, definitely. Cool? Uh-uh. Nope. Not a chance."

"Aw, where's your sense of adventure?" I pulled out my camera again and began to snap several photos of the door. "I've never seen these ruins before… They appear to be a mix of Guardian Runes and Ancient Mobian."

"Sonia, wake up and smell the poison! We've almost died like, twelve times so far! And you're fangirling over _runes?_ "

I ignored him. We had been shot at by thugs, thrown in prison, and almost died from hypothermia. A few little arrows and spears was nothing compared to those "adventures".

After a few dozen snaps, I started to examine the carvings a little closer. "Do you think Uncle Chuck knew about this place?"

Manic shrugged and shuffled his feet slightly, "Why would he? He's an old, grouchy, Chaos-cursed-"

" _Manic_."

"What? You know exactly how I feel about him, sis."

"I was asking if you think he knew about this place. I mean, if I recall correctly, Uncle Chuck always talked about how our family have lived in this area for generations. Do you remember those long talks he'd give us?"

"Ugh…" Manic ran his fingers through his hair, "A little bit… this was before our parents died, right?"

I nodded slowly, smiling at the memory, "Uncle Chuck had whole books of family history that he'd flip through every Sunday with us, telling us stories about our ancestors and pointing out names and stuff."

"I wouldn't know. I always fell asleep during those things."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Of course you did… Well, anyway, it was really interesting."

"If you say so."

We continued on our trek, dodging poisoned spears and jumping over booby-trapped floor tiles. I noticed that, the farther we went, the scarcer each major trap got. Soon, both of us were able to relax some and my warnings were virtually nonexistent. Manic even stopped flinching at every sound. I'm not sure exactly how long we traveled through the ancient tunnels, but it seemed like hours. I was glad that Manic had brought supplies in his backpack; who knew how long it would take for us to get back?

Of course, every trail has its end. After a few more twists and turns, Manic and came face to face with… a wall. A huge stone wall.

"A dead end? _Seriously?"_ said Manic. "Great. Just great. Told you this was a waste of time." He turned around in disgust, ready to leave. "Sonia? You coming?"

I was about to follow him, disappointed that our hours of cheating death had only led us to another impasse in our search. And I really thought this would've led to something…

Suddenly, an odd marking on the wall caught my eye. I examined it closer, recognizing as another rune. Other small notches in the wall, once analyzed a bit further, were also various ancient symbols. A bubble of excitement rose in my chest.

"Manic, wait!" I called. I heard him stop walking.

"What?" he replied.

"I think I've found something!" I brushed the dust away from the cuts in the rock to try and read them.

Manic sighed behind me before crouching next to me. "More runes. Whoopee"

I groaned. "Manic, please try and be a little more excited."

"It's a dead end. You're expecting me to be excited about staring at a _wall_." He turned to the wall, scooting up so close, his nose was almost touching it. "Oh, wow, Sonia, you were right. This _is_ a lot of fun. Weee…"

I mentally sighed. Knuckles would have been much more excited about this. I mentally scolded myself for that thought, and turned my attention back to the wall. "It's covered in ancient writings left by a past civilization! It's like a treasure hunt!"

"Oh, _give me a break!_ " Manic banged his head against the wall. I opened my mouth to make a comeback but was interrupted by the runes suddenly glowing green and pink. We both jumped back, and the wall seemed to just fall away.

When the dust cleared, Manic and I stared into a large room. The walls were covered in paintings and hieroglyphics that seemed to tell a story, but unfortunately I was unable to make any sense of them. The floor was simple stone and very plain. In the center of the room was a small stone altar. Resting on top, right in the center, was a black gem.

I had the sudden urge to run.

XXX

 **YAY, CLIFFHANGERS!**

 **Don't you love Cliffhangers? Good news! Spring Break! More good news! Lots of typing has been done. Even more good news! Only one more month until AP Tests and then my homework load is pretty much lightened by half, so more time for typing! Last good news: y'all are amazing!**

 **Review, please!**


	37. Night Terrors

**This chapter. Just… this chapter.**

 **Reviews! (** _ **which Halo will be covering)**_

 _ **Afterburngaming: Aw, you're sweet~**_

 _ **AreAllTheNamesTaken: The plot will be kicking in VERY soon, like in only a couple of chapters. (SPOILER ALERT)**_

 _ **Shapeshifter 14: It'll happen… Eventually. (hehehe)**_

 _ **ultimateCCC: Yep, they're pretty close… relatively. (HAHAHA)**_

 _ **Autumn: Um… that was a Sonia chapter...**_

 _ **StarlightSparks: Aw, thanks!**_

Sonic's POV:

I woke up in cold sweat, breathing hard. I wanted to scream, but my mouth was too dry to make a sound.

Shaking, I turned on the light next to my bed and got up. No point in trying to sleep after _that_ dream. I walked downstairs into the kitchen, stopping right before I reached the door. I wasn't allowed in there. But I was so thirsty… I couldn't mess up a glass of water, could I?

Worth a shot.

Cautiously, I opened the cupboard and grabbed a cup, holding it with both hands out in front of me as I brought it to the sink; I was half expecting it to spontaneously catch on fire. As carefully as I could, I filled the cup and brought it to my lips. I almost dropped it, but caught it just in time.

This was a _huge_ accomplishment for me! I had entered the kitchen and left without starting Armageddon! Woo!

I sat down on the couch in the living room, the dim illumination of the floor lamp the only thing lighting the room. I thought briefly about turning on the TV, but didn't really feel in the mood.

I shouldn't really be surprised that I've been having so many nightmares lately. Robotnik has only been getting more and more ruthless in his attacks in the last few months, which is scaring the _heck_ out of me. He's gone from terrorizing cities to going after our team. Just a month ago, Amy was abducted in the middle of the night, the fifth time since January.

She wasn't the only one who's been kidnapped, though- he's taken Tails at least four times, Knuckles three, and Rouge and Shadow both once each. And me? I'm sorry to say that I've gotten stuck in one of his death traps three times and counting.

We've barely been making out of these things alive. Once, Knuckles was literally tossed in a pit of shrapnel and had to climb up a sheer wall to escape. Amy's been attacked by three Metal Sonics at the same time in a locked room, and he held Tails hostage for three days once, torturing him with another electric collar. He was almost dead by the time we found where Robotnik was keeping him (I think he wanted Tails to upgrade his army again, but every time he tried the poor kid had a panic attack and became pretty… hostile). Shadow's 'death-trap' was very easy for him to escape (I think it had actually been designed to catch me…). He simply teleported out of the metal room that was about to explode. Rouge had a trap that was (surprise, surprise) themed on jewels. Easy for her to get in, not so easy to get out… and she didn't get a single jewel, much to her disappointment.

I remember the most recent trap he's gotten me in. It was around a month ago. He was reported to have been burning down some buildings in a small town a few miles east of here, but when we arrived to help, all we found were three dozen Metal Sonics, half of them there to distract the team and the other half there to capture me. They took me to a nearby lake and dragged me underwater, holding me down to the sandy floor and waiting to see how long I could hold my breath. I remember struggling futilely against the grip of their cold metal claws and the feeling of my lungs burning, desperate for oxygen. My vision was blurry from the water and I kept seeing black splotches that only got bigger and bigger the longer I stayed under…

The next thing I knew, I was hacking up water, with a soaking Knuckles hoisting my shoulder over his. If he, Tails and Amy hadn't jumped in and knocked away the Metal Sonics, I'd have drowned that day. I still get chills thinking about it.

Then came the terrifying day, about two weeks ago, when Robotnik kidnapped Cream. I remember that night; Vanilla was banging on our door at the crack of dawn, so hysterical we could hardly understand her. Eventually, after a few cups of tea, she was able to choke out that Cream was missing, and in her bed was a ransom note- from Robotnik. The ransom was something along the lines of "unconditional surrender". That day was… scary. We had no idea where the heck he was keeping her, and we wasted half the day trying to figure it out. After a few fruitless hours, we finally called in Team Dark.

The _minute_ we told Shadow that Cream had been kidnapped and was being held ransom, he started teleporting all of us at once to each of Robotnik's bases until we found the one where he was holding Cream, with Rouge fuming all the while. Quote: "You do not kidnap and threaten children's lives. _Especially_ that child." I almost threw up about twelve times (teleportation with no time to recover is _not fun._ )

I was expecting him to be torturing her for information, or holding her in some sort of sick, life force-sucking machine. Nope. Not even close.

When we got there, we found Cream in a locked room with seven dismantled SWATbots at her feet. She was trying to escape by whacking the wall with one of the robot's arms and screaming profanities that she really shouldn't have known at all (you've gotta wonder how much late-night TV Vanilla was letting her watch).

Turns out that 'Botnik had taken Cheese and had locked Cream in a room with a dozen SWATbots ready to tear her apart if we didn't comply with the ransom in forty eight hours. He should've built himself some sturdier robots, because according to the security tapes we saw later, those rust buckets didn't stand a chance- Cream was _literally_ tearing them limb from limb.

Anyway, after we found and freed both her and Cheese, that's when it really got interesting. Cream was thrilled to have Cheese back, but when she noticed that he had a bent wing, we saw a side of her that frankly, I'd like to never see again. Me, Amy, and Knuckles all had to hold her back from going after Robotnik and committing cold-blooded murder. After calling him a couple of names that cannot and should not be repeated, she had pretty much gotten it out of her system and asked if we could go home. And we did… everyone but Shadow.

I'm still not clear on the specifics of what happened, only that the aftermath was big enough to make the six o'clock news and that that particular base is no longer standing. Cream has started taking defense lessons from Amy in case this happens again, and I'm about ninety-nine percent sure that Shadow is secretly training her behind our backs. Robotnik hasn't tried another abduction since, but it's only a matter of time.

Nightmares… I've lived with them since I was six, but it was something I still wasn't positive how to get rid of them. Some people confront them, head on- and somehow get over their fear of spiders and the dark. Don't think the same works for friends getting kidnapped by an evil wannabe dictator.

Other people just watch tv to get rid of their problems and pray that the horrifying images never return.

I sit and think about them. Which in the long run, may not get rid of them. But I've learned that if I ignored them they just got worse.

Tonight's dream was really strange. It was a repeat of a particularly terrifying death trap that involved Amy hanging over a vat of lava (don't ask), but instead of Amy it was everyone. Amy, Tails, Cream, Shadow, Rouge, Vanilla, Frank and Bernice, and… Manic and Sonia. They were locked in tight metal cages and slowly being lowered closer and closer to the bubbling surface of the lava. I was running to save them, but they only got farther and farther away. I heard their screams for one blood curdling second… and then it was quiet.

I wasn't fast enough.

Team Sonic and Team Dark's appearance didn't surprise me, nor did Vanilla's, Bernice's, or Frank's. But the fact that my dead siblings were there was really strange. But I guess it shouldn't have surprised me too much.

Over the past six months, or at least since Christmas, I'd been getting really... _vivid_ memories of my old family for practically no reason. Let's just say that I've had very mixed emotions over the whole experience. If I was just sitting in my room and a flash of memory washed over me, then I'd grab a notebook and pen and quickly scribble down everything I could get- sometimes a whole paragraph, sometimes only a single word. Once in awhile, when words just couldn't do it, I'd draw a picture. When I was with friends or in the middle of a fight, I found it very, very, annoying. I had no idea why I was getting these flashes of memories- maybe I was having some sort of PTSD reaction or something. That would make sense, since Robotnik is trying to kill my new family.

Family…

Somedays, I wondered if I should leave. Just run away, go live alone somewhere. They'd be safer that way; I was a magnet for danger and beacon for tragedy. But at this point I was in too deep. Abandoning everyone would just make things worse- as I had learned the hard way from my first attempt with Tails. In times like these, I cursed myself for ever making connections with anyone.

I mentally kicked myself. Stupid, stupid, _stupid..._

The only person who knew my whole story was General Towers. I knew everyone else was a confused on why I panicked so much when someone almost died. I'd check them over for injuries and ask them hundreds of questions to see if they were alright before calming down a little. I think Shadow might suspect that something was up, but he never made a comment. Fine by me.

I know that the rest of the team was worried about me, and Tails had tried to get me to talk at least three times already about what was bothering me, or why I would abruptly zone out in the middle of a fight or conversation.

I'd like to say I told him.

I realized that I had been up for nearly an hour. My eyelids were heavy; I worked up the energy to grab at a blanket on the floor, then felt myself crash back to dreamland. The world there was blurry and vague, unstable. I wished I wasn't able to dream at all.

 _I'm running towards something… No, I'm running_ _ **away**_ _from something. Something bad. Dark._

 _There's laughter in the background, the echoing din chilling me to the bone. I look around, desperate, unable to see anything through the black fog. The laughter grows steadily louder and I pick up the pace, the sickening thrill of panic setting in my lungs. I want to scream to for help, for somebody,_ _ **anybody**_ _, to save me from this monster, but nothing escapes my throat. I'm mute._

 _I run faster and faster. The laughter surrounds me; it fills my ears, overwhelming my mind and crippling my senses. Where is it coming from? Doesn't matter. Just run, run, run, go, leave, leave, faster, faster._

 _Soon it's everywhere, the pitch black fog seeping through my eyelids, the deranged laughter now a deafening shriek. I trip, crashing to my knees. It's coming for me. My legs are frozen. I can't move. I can't escape._

 _I'm trapped._

XXX

 **And… CUT!**

 **That was fun. Anyone else scream?**

 _ **NOT ME! More like fangirl-squealed. ANGST!**_

 **Of course you would say that… Anyway, please review! What do y'all think is going to happen to Sonic? (;**


	38. Tomb Raiders

**Sonia and Manic on a Tomb Raid… and Halo and I had so much fun plugging in some Sonic references. I guarantee you will either cringe or laugh at the insanity of the situation.**

 **But first, reviews:**

 **ultamiteCCC: Halo and I scream right along with you.**

 **StarlightSparks:** _ **Actually, what happens is [SPOILER ALERT-CENSORED-SPOILER ALERT-CENSORED] And that's the whole plot right there. Thanks for asking!**_ **Thank you Halo… Um… before or after he sees them…? Well, that depends on your perspective. And yeah, there's a few different ways they can meet. I can probably guarantee that you won't figure it out.**

 **sonicforlife:** _ **Reasons why you shouldn't burn our souls OR our computers:**_

 _ **1\. The soul-burning ceremony is a very complicated and tedious process that requires a ridiculous amount of time, gasoline, formaldehyde, and gummi bears. Plus, the amount of demons that will later infest your home and work area become quite annoying after a while. I know this from experience.**_

 _ **2\. If you burn our computers, you'll never know the ending.**_

 _ **3\. Actually, it might be better to burn our computers. Those demons aren't leaving anytime soon.**_

 _ **4\. If you ever find out where we live, I will personally congratulate you with a pat on the head and a cookie, you clever child, you.**_

 **5\. If you want to destroy us for killing any characters, then you may want to get your matches ready. Just kidding!... _Or are we?_ You're right, we are! _Or are we?_ No we're not kidding. All main characters will have died at least once before the end of this story... Just kidding! **_**OR ARE WE?**_

 **Autumn: We won't leave you hanging, promise.**

 **MeowthKitty: I agree with you. That chapter was great, but… really shouldn't have enjoyed typing it as much as I did.**

 **SonicBoomFan4000: *passes note to Sonic* Yeah, they almost die a lot…**

 **Guest: That review made my day. Here's your update!**

 **gabiola652: Hi! Um… Who? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL That is my new favorite random comment in a review! GOAL! Glad your wi-fi got worked out. Honestly, I sometimes want to kill the internet. Sonia and Manic have a strange relationship. Okay, the giant time gap. We did this for three reasons. 1. Manic and Sonia tracking their brother to a dead end and getting chased by crazy cops, robbers, gangsters, and all other occupations would get old quick. 2. Halo and I couldn't come up with enough Sonic chapters to shove in between all that without getting redundant. 3. Long stories are fun, but sometimes you just want to get them done and we needed this time gap so the story didn't feel super rushed from the really, really, really, annoyed authors. Aw… thanks! Hope you continued to enjoy. Here's the next one!**

Sonia's POV:

"We should go."

Those were the first words out of Manic's mouth after we found the shrine.

My sudden desire to leave vanished from my mind. While I had originally been a little surprised at the sudden turn of events, I decided that nothing was too strange to investigate anymore, including this.

I rolled my eyes, "Manic, it's just a gem."

"I. Hate. Gems." he said bitterly, gritting his teeth.

"How can you hate a gem?" I spread out my senses, searching for any more deathtraps that might be hidden, but there were none to be found. What a relief.

Manic mumbled something under his breath that I couldn't quite catch, but I didn't push it. At this point, I suspected that just about everything he had a problem with had something to do with his time as a gangster. And I _really_ didn't want another one of those horror stories.

I marched into the room and got a closer look at the gem. It looked similar to the Master Emerald, but smaller. And black, apparently. I had assumed that all emeralds would be green, but black works too.

The gem was beautiful, a work of art- its texture was both glossy and matte at the same time, which I didn't know was even possible. It was the darkest shade of black I had ever seen, so black it seemed to suck me in. It was… hypnotic. But while I felt entranced by its beauty, I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach; This wasn't natural. This wasn't right.

But I wanted it. More than I had ever wanted anything.

"I don't like this." Manic said quietly, his eyes skirting around nervously, as if we were about to get caught doing something wrong.

"You keep saying that."

"Look, I don't like the gem because it's… well, it's a gem. Don't like 'em. But…" He faltered, refusing to meet my eyes. "I'm getting some seriously bad vibes off this. We really shouldn't touch it."

"Well, duh." I reached into my backpack and pulled out some gloves, "Have you ever read a book on ancient relics? These objects can be pretty dangerous if not handled correctly."

"Woah, woah, woah!" Manic held up a time-out sign. "What the heck are you doing?"

"I believe the question is, what the heck are _you_ doing?"

"That's what I just sa- Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, _no!_ " His face had completely drained of color.

I smiled. "That's right, Manic." I handed him the gloves. He jumped back as though they were poisonous.

" _Are you insane?_ I ain't touching that thing, gloves or _not!_ "

"Oh, come on!" I pleaded. "This could help us find Maurice!... somehow!" He raised an eyebrow."Okay, maybe not. But we had to have been drawn to it for a reason! And you've gotta admit, this is _really, really_ cool!"

"Why do _I_ have to do it?"

"Because someone has to focus on any incoming issues, which can require some crazy concentration."

Manic buried his face in his hands, shaking his head. "Sonia, Sonia, _Sonia…_ " he groaned. "I believe you've gotten to know me enough by now that you know that when _I_ \- of _all people, ever_ \- become the voice of reason, we are in a _very, very, very bad situation._ I need you to recognize that." Manic sighed, trying to compose himself but not doing a very good job of it. "Think about it this way. I am your Jiminy Cricket. And what Jiminy is saying right now is that we need to get out of here. Please, please, _please_ don't squash Jiminy."

"Quit being such a drama queen."

"Sonia, we just went spelunking through the fun house of death, and _now_ you want me to swipe you a creepy black jewel-thingie that was probably crafted by the devil himself! _**I'd say this is an adequate amount of drama!**_ "

This was getting frustrating. "Okay, y'know what?" I said, exasperated. "If you're too scared to do your favorite thing ever, then _I'll_ just take it." I slipped on the gloves and turned back to the gem. Why did I want this stupid gem so much? I felt sicker and sicker the closer my hand reached towards it; I hated it. I hated this gem and everything about it. But in some twisted way, that only made me want it more.

Just as my fingers were about to brush over the emerald's surface, I felt Manic's hand grab my shoulder. I looked at him with a grim expression.

"You're not going to stop me, you know." I said firmly, tightening my hands into fists at my sides.

"Y-yeah… I can see that." he said uncertainly.

"Then why are you even _trying_ to stop me?"

"Because…" he faltered, choking out the words. "I wanna do it."

"Why the change of heart?"

" _You've_ never stolen a thing in your life. You don't know what you're doing- Or more importantly, how to get away with it. Gimme the gloves, and let's get this over with."

I smiled, happily peeling off the gloves and handing them to my very disgruntled brother. Shakily, he pulled them on, staring into the inky blackness of the gem with a mixture of fear and hatred. He walked closer and closer to the altar until he was almost touching it. He took a deep breath, unable to stabilize his breathing.

In the blink of an eye, he grasped the emerald with only the tips of his fingers and lifted it off its stone pedestal. He yelped as though it had hurt him, flinging it across the chamber. He fell to his knees, clutching his right hand and swearing loudly.

"What, what's wrong?" I asked, the bad feeling in my stomach replaced by a worse one.

"Holy, frikkin', sonuva- It burned me! That stupid hunk of rock _burned_ me!" This was followed by a very long, very colorful string of curse words. It was both impressive and repulsive.

I scouted around for where the gem might have landed, finding it in a corner of the chamber. Careful not to let it touch me, I scooped it into my bag and slung it over my shoulder. Even through the material of the bag and my clothes, there was _something_ radiating from the gem- but it didn't feel exactly like heat.

Eventually, Manic stopped swearing long enough to start acting like a normal person again, although he did still look like he was in a lot of pain. My insatiable need for that gem was gone now; I considered putting it back in its place, but I didn't want to be burned, and Manic had already been hurt enough. What's done is done.

"Come on, let's get out of here," I said to Manic, gesturing for us to leave.

"Uh… how?"

That was a good question. How were we going to get out? It would take hours to go back the way we came. There had to be another way out. I began to examine the runes a little more closely, brushing them slightly to clear the dust. The entire wall was covered in dust and more then have the writing was hidden. At one point, I blew into the cracks and began to cough like a maniac. Note to self: no blowing on dust.

After a few minutes, my hand brushed off something different then the rest of the wall. It felt cold and smooth. I rubbed a little harder and found it was a small piece of metal embedded into the wall about the size of my palm. But before I could get a closer look, a strange screeching sound erupted from out of nowhere, making me step back and cover my ears.

Manic looked a little disturbed, "Is that… music?"

I had heard a lot of different types of music in my life, and this… this was not what I'd call music. It certainly sounded like musical instruments carrying a melody, but the song itself was absolutely _horrid-_ an offensively bad mixture of rap and something that was trying to to mimic and Egyptian sound. The voices were so screechy and high-pitched that I hesitated to even call it singing.

"UGH! MAKE IT STOP! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S GOOD AND PURE, MAKE IT STOP!" shouted Manic, covering his ears in agony. The music only grew louder and more cringe-inducing, until finally, it reached its end.

Rolling my eyes, I started my translation of the runes. The words were rough and I couldn't make out several lines, but I got the main point. "Um… good news, bad news time. The good news is that I know another way out."

"I don't wanna hear the bad news."

"The bad news is that we have to listen to three songs."

Manic stared at me incredulously, "What? _Why?_ "

"The hieroglyphics say that there's three magical sensors on each of the four walls. You touch them in the right order and- presto!- the exit opens up. But here's the catch: You have to listen to the music along with it, or it won't work. I think it's some kind of musical lock."

"I would rather _die!_ "

"Manic!"

He pointed at the now glowing blue hunk of metal with the utmost disgust. "Why- _why_ does this exist?"

"Maybe we can just plug our ears and pretend it isn't there?" I suggested weakly.

He buried his face in his hands. "Just _please_ tell me we picked the right metal-thingie the first time?"

"Actually, I think it's some sort of medallion…" I said thoughtfully, examining the metal.

"I don't care! _Did we pick the right one?_ "

"Yes."

"Good! Great! Fantastic! Which death song do we want now?"

"It should look like a drum set… the medallion, I mean."

Manic found it on the opposite wall and pressed it tentatively, bracing himself for impact. A loud drum solo followed by electric guitar followed, nearly blowing out my eardrums. And then the screeching started. Later in my life, I would thank Chaos that the songs were only about a minute long. The third song was neither rock or rap. It was something a little more similar to country.

"Of course they would save the worst for last…" muttered Manic. "Why country? Of all the many, many types of music in this world, why country?"

"I love country!" I protested.

"You would."

I tried to find something to enjoy about that song. I really did. But once again, the screeching ruined the experience. "Sweet Chaos, who sings these songs?"

"I don't know, and I don't care! Just make them _shut up!_ " Manic hunkered down, trying to shield himself from the ear-shatteringly terrible song. I couldn't help but do the same.

When it finally finished, one of the walls opened up to reveal a staircase leading up to the top. I squinted as hard as I could and was able to make out a small dot of light at the top; how far down were we?

"Well, what are we waiting for?" demanded Manic, making a beeline for the stairs.

I rolled my eyes and ran after him, only to screech to a halt when I found more ruins on the walls. "Oooh!"

"Sis, look. I'm gonna try to put this nicely," he said slowly, rubbing his forehead. "If you're going to geek out about another _chaos-cursed_ rune, I will _lose my mind._ "

"But I can actually read most of these! And… I have no idea what to make of them."

"JUST LIKE EVERYTHING IN THIS CURSED CAVE. Let's go…"

"But-"

"Sonia, I'm really trying to be calm here, but I _swear_ -"

"Manic!" I interrupted. "I promise to not take any pictures."

He scowled. "...Fine. But make it quick. I'd like to leave and never come back."

The translation was really strange… and appeared to rhyme. "Triplets born... the throne awaits... a seer warns of... a deadly... fate…" I looked around for a second, "I think the rest of this is on the walls going up the stairs."

I think Manic finally lost his patience because he grabbed my arm and began to drag me up the staircase, "Nope! I'll tell you their fate!"

"Manic, you can't even _read_ the runes!"

"It's called imagination! You said they rhyme? _I'll make 'em rhyme!_ " He hummed something to himself for a second that sounded like a tune.

"Give up your children, separate!" he belted out. I hadn't realized how bad of a singer he was. "Bide your time, um… lie in wait!"

"Manic, stop being-" I glanced at the runes and my jaw dropped.

"You're… right," I stuttered. "Completely right. How… how did you do that?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. What's the rest of it say?"

"Um… a bunch of repeating lines about some kind of underground. Maybe that's the chorus."

As we continued our climb up the stairs, Manic kept making up new lyrics that absolutely no sense, producing one of the worst ideas for a story that I have ever heard (he also came up with a really bad idea for a video game that involved the princess of Soleanna and some crazy flames with time confusion thrown into the mix. But it was so bad that I told him to just forget it ever happened). I couldn't read the hieroglyphics to see if Manic was getting it right because he never slowed down long enough for me to translate. The light at the top grew larger with every step, and it wasn't long before we had made it back to the surface. The musty smell of dust and cobwebs was replaced by the sharp scent of pine and oak.

Manic leaped out of the hole, spinning into a happy cartwheel.

"Free! Free at last!" he shouted gleefully. "I have _never_ been so happy to see a tree!" He ran up and hugged the trunk of a maple, grinning. "Never again… never, ever again…"

I sighed. "Okay, fine. You were right. That was a bad idea. We were stupid for going through with it. Happy?"

"Uh, _we?_ "

"Fine, _I_ was stupid for making you go through with it," I admitted.

"That's better. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go put some ice on my hand, because it kind of feels like it's going to fall off or shatter or something. It hurts. Care to join me?" He smiled weakly.

I took this as a sign of forgiveness. We were pretty much silent as we walked back to the van, but that was fine with me. We survived that ordeal with limbs to spare, and at this point, that was good enough for me.

In my backpack, I could still feel the gem pulsing and throbbing; I didn't like it, and I sort of wanted to throw it away, but after all we went through to get it, there was no way I was losing it now.

XXX

When we got back to the van, both us were so exhausted, we both just flopped on our beds without a word. I hadn't realized just how tired our little adventure had made me. "Ugh… Alright, Manic. Let's never do that again."

"For once, I'm in total agreement with you." My brother rolled over onto his stomach, holding the pack of ice on his hand and wincing slightly.

"How's your hand?"

"It's fine now. I'm more worried about what we're going to do with that emerald."

I frowned and opened up my bag, looking inside at the gem, "What makes you say it's an emerald? I mean, emeralds are supposed to be green, right?"

Manic tensed up slightly. "Oh… um, well… you see… uh-"

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Don't tell me." At this point, whenever Manic became hesitant in his words, I knew he was trying to come up with a lie. When we first began our trip, Manic could lie to me easily (although I often caught him in his little tall tales), but as time went on, I started to notice that it was harder for him to lie to me. That, or I just started to guess when he wasn't being straight with me. Either way, I'd rather him keep a secret then make one up.

Manic looked a little relieved at that comment, "So now what do we do? Are we selling that thing, or…?" He trailed off in thought. I had a suspicion that he was plotting how to get rid of the jewel and fast.

The gears in my head started to turn as I tried to figure out what to do with this thing. It obviously was dangerous. I mean, what kind of rock burns things it touches? But at the same time, it was rather fascinating and I wanted to learn more about it. Manic had called it an emerald… and now that I thought about it, it kind of did look like the Master Emerald. Just black, and smaller.

That was when I got my idea. And I already hated it. "I… I think we need to go talk to Knuckles."

Manic literally fell off his bunk and hit the ground with a thud. He stared up at me with a flabbergasted expression. " _What?_ Have you lost it? Sis, he isn't gonna wanna see you! Not to put it bluntly or anything, but you kinda broke his heart into a million pieces and threw it in the garbage disposal. I've got the feeling he may never want to see you again. … Okay, that was a little too blunt."

I winced at the words and looked at the floor, knowing everything he said was true. "Knuckles knows a lot about magical gems. We can talk to him about it, okay? Or would you rather go see Uncle Chuck?"

Manic mumbled something vulgar and I smacked him on the back of the head.

"Ow! What'd I do?"

"He's still our uncle. Live with it."

He groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Fine. Let's go talk to your ex. But for the record: this is a bad idea."

Oh, don't I know it. I dropped the bag with the gem under the passenger seat and climbed into the driver's seat. I started the ignition and buckled in. "We should get there in about… two days? Maybe less."

"So, on our birthday?"

Mentally, I smacked myself. "Chaos, it's that in two days?"

Manic grinned. "Yep. Seventeen! Now we're old enough to not feel like complete kids, but still not old enough to be an adult!"

I rolled my eyes. "That's the highlight of being seventeen?"

"Well, we can also donate blood and be interviewed by the cops without an adult present."

"... How do you know that?"

"I get around," Manic plopped down next to me, grinning broadly.

I smiled at him before the date sunk in. That smile turned upside down. "Wait… two days before our birthday… June twenty-first." I paused, my hands beginning to shake. "Manic…. that's the anniversary of when… when..." I covered my mouth, feeling like I was going to throw up; I couldn't bring myself to say the last part out loud. But he knew what I meant. It was the anniversary of when we lost our parents and brother.

Manic looked down at his lap, "Yeah. I guess it is."

We sat in silence for a moment before I shook away the rolling emotions. You never knew what would happen once we got back to Station Square. Maybe we'd find Maurice as a sort of birthday gift- and that would be the best present ever, hands down.

 **SONIC UNDERGROUND REFERENCES! (and one Sonic '06 rip- find it!) Halo and I pretty much tore apart the entire show and made fun of it one chapter.** **Don't get us wrong, we like the show (most of the time) but… the songs… and Sonia's voice… NO. JUST NO.**

 **In case you want to experience the cringe for yourself, the songs we referenced (in order of appearance) are as follows:**

-" **Mummy Wrap"**

-" **Mobius Stomp"**

-" **Never Easy"**

-" **Sonic Underground Theme"**

 _ **WARNING: These songs will give you the unhealthy urge to rip off your ears and burn them. And if you watch the music videos along with the songs, well… you may question your desire to live. I know I did.**_

 **Little over dramatic, Halo, but I think most people will agree with you.** **Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed. Review please and we'll see you next time!**

 _ **OR WILL WE?**_

 **HALO!**


	39. Now and Then

**Hey guys! Sorry that updates have been a little random the past while. Part of the reason is I've been typing some other fanfictions (I'm in a Star Wars AU mood at the moment) and another reason is AP testing is just around the corner so I'm trying to not get super stressed. And if there's one thing that can get me super stressed, it's rushing to finish a chapter. So… slow going.**

 **WARNING: This chapter is crazy and dramatic and a little dark at certain points. We have [SPOILERS], a [SPOILERS], and a [SPOILERS]. In other words: [SPOILERS]. So… maybe a trigger alert. Warning you now.**

 **Anyway, Halo and I loved your reviews on the last chapter!**

 **StarlightSparks: I have seen every episode as well. It was so much fun coming up with the references. No, the medallions were a one time thing. Halo and I did try to find a way to bring them in but… nothing ever really clicked. And honestly, I hate Sonic fighting with a guitar that shoots laser beams for no apparent reason. I think my favorite would be Manic's earth abilities… but once again: THE HECK, THIS MAKES NO SENSE.**

 **ultimateCCC: … I have no idea what you're talking about. Sonic? Maurice? The Master Emerald? What?**

 **Zosonils: Hi! Happy to see you're still reading! And can I just say, I read your review like three times before screaming with happiness into my pillow. I am… I can't… I can't even… I AM SO HAPPY YOU LIKE THIS STORY THAT MUCH. I can die and be happy knowing I made someone's day… but let's not do that.**

 **Autumn: I honestly don't know why people are worried about that… although I suppose it is a worry so makes sense. Let me put it this way: I wrote a 20 chapter story about Sonic and Tails bonding. I don't think I'm going to just throw that relationship out the window. Think of them like the double duo. Sonic will always be closer to Tails and Sonia and Manic will always be closer to each other than to Sonic. That's just how it's going to turn out. Hope that soothed your fears.**

 **Another Viewer: Best. Username. Ever. *reads review and tilts head* Okay, this is new. I'll look it up and see what we can do. LOL. Nintendo vs. SEGA. Thanks! Hope you continue to enjoy.**

 **Agent BM: *blinks* OH FORCE, MASTER YODA? IS THAT YOU? XD**

 **That Speedhunter: Um…? Okay then. Why not…?**

 **Luna Hedgefox: No, I like reviews! Sorry that came out wrong. And you didn't waste my time. I waste my own time. (; Sonia and Manic did combine their powers but… eh, Chaos energy is chaotic so you can never expect perfect results. Que Star Wars Quote, "I got a bad feeling about this." Me: *grins* Oh you don't know the half of it. Robotnik's attempt to kill his new family will be explained in this chapter. Sonic '06, why did you do that? And yes, they were voiced by the same actor. I don't mind her voice but… sometimes I just cringe. Also, thanks for all of the reviews on Long Road Home! I enjoyed the reactions.**

 **msyafinas: Aw, thanks! Will do!**

 **IcyPinkFlower: That. Was. Awesome. I have never had anyone beg for an update in that way before. Loved it! And your wish is my command, here is thy update.**

 **Get ready for a long chapter, guys. Better buckle up.**

Sonic's POV:

The moment my eyes opened, I knew it was going to be a bad day. A few things contributed to this conclusion.

The first one was that I overslept. Most people think I'm all about sleeping in until the sun is high in the sky. They're not totally wrong, but hey, they're not right either. I'm fine with nine in the morning and sometimes even ten. But eleven? On a weekday? That's just unnatural.

Second factor was the date. June Twenty-first. Two days before my seventeenth birthday. Eleven years to the day that my family was brutally murdered by a madman. This was always a painful day for me.

The last contributor was when I went downstairs, Tails was sitting in front of the TV, unblinking and unmoving. And to my surprise, so was everyone else. Amy, Rouge, Knuckles, heck, even Shadow was present.

 _Please tell me Tails wasn't planning another surprise party._ With the past year I'd been having, I didn't think I could take it.

Good news: it wasn't a birthday party. Bad news: it was Robotnik.

The two reporters were talking when I came in so I managed to figure out what was going on pretty quick.

" _-with a public announcement not to GUN or even the world as a whole, but to our hometown hero, Sonic the Hedgehog."_

" _I'm going to be honest, Gracie, when I woke up this morning, I didn't think anything like this would happen today. Doctor Robotnik, the world-renowned evil genius who has been terrorizing Mobius for over ten years, is issuing a public challenge to his oldest rival- clearly, a stepping stone in history."_

I quickly sat down next to Tails, who looked at me with those big eyes, "Sonic, what's he talking about?"

I frowned, "I just woke up. How could I have known that Robotnik would issue a 'challenge'?"

"Not the news report! Robotnik!"

 _That_ caught my attention.

" _For those of you who are just joining us, Robotnik began this beautiful morning by hacking into every radio and satellite to play out this challenge to none other than Sonic the Hedgehog."_

The two news anchors faded and up popped a glitchy image of Robotnik, his evil grin spread across his face. _"Good morning, Mobius! But more importantly, good morning Hedgehog! Hope you've had a decent night's sleep, because today is a very special day, rodent. Or don't you remember?"_

I tensed up. He wouldn't.

" _In celebration of the..._ _ **events**_ _that transpired on this day- was it eleven years ago?- I am personally inviting you to a challenge. Winner walks away in one piece, loser… well, I believe you can imagine the outcome. Team Sonic and Team Dark are also formally invited- although, I do think it's a little rude to be crashing in on our Special Anniversary, wouldn't you agree?"_

I didn't hear the rest of the message. Without even thinking about everyone else in the room, I stood up, marched over, and slammed my hands down on the television. The set sparked slightly and then I shoved it off on the side, throwing it on the ground, the glass breaking and scattering.

My breathing was heavy and my fists were shaking with anger. How dare he. How dare he broadcast that across the world. How _dare_ he! I glared at the broken remains of the television, wishing it could've been _him_ that I had smashed. This… this was sick.

A soft hand touched my shoulder. Amy looked a little terrified at my sudden explosion. "Sonic…?"

I shook her off and whirled back around. "Before I got here. What else did he say?"

Tails's eyes had gotten a lot bigger, filled to the brim with shock and… was that fear? "Just… just the time and location of the challenge. Three PM at an old factory about four or five hours from here. Three, if we're fast."

 _Of all the days…_ I mentally cursed Robotnik to whatever horrible afterlife existed. An angry growl escaped my mouth and I began to pace across the floor, trembling in anger.

This day was going even worse then I thought it would. If it had been yesterday, or tomorrow, or even on my birthday, I wouldn't be as worked up. But not today. Today was the one day I couldn't put up an act. I usually stayed away from everyone because of that. Today was the one day of the year I couldn't put my Sonic charade. Today I was Maurice. Not Sonic the Hedgehog. Not the Sonic the Hero. _Maurice._

Over the years, Maurice had changed. He wasn't that scared little boy who ran at the first sign of trouble. He fought for peace and justice in the world, if only so that no one else would have to experience oppression and war.

But he wasn't Sonic. Sonic smiled and joked around while fighting for justice. He was cool under pretty crazy pressure and was rarely angry. He was laid back and chill and kept his emotions in check. Everyone loved him and thought he was cool. Sonic had an ego the size of Station Square and lived for pleasing the crowds.

Maurice wasn't like that. Not at all. Maurice only came out his box when Sonic wasn't available, which was for the big problems. Maurice was serious. He was focused and wouldn't back down from a problem. He cared more about others then his ego or himself. But the most important difference that I'd noticed was his emotions. Maurice didn't have much control over them. When he was happy, people would know. When he was sad, people could tell. When he was angry… it was impossible to hide. He was heated in his emotions and would act on them in a heartbeat.

For the first time, my friends- my _family_ \- actually saw me. Not Sonic. Not the act. But me.

It scared them.

Everyone's gaze was locked on me as I walked around and around the room, caught up in my own thoughts. Some expressions were shocked but a few held the start of terror. But the worst was from Shadow. He looked back and forth from the TV and me, his face thoughtful and contemplating. At one point our gaze locked for a single second and my mind flashed back to a conversation between the two of us a few months ago.

" _Sorry about the TV."_

" _No need to apologize. It's my fault anyway."_

" _I should have just left without a word. Didn't really think."_

" _Hey, I would have done the same thing. Although, I think I would have picked the thing up and thrown it out the window. Not blow it up. But hey, that's just my preference."_

I swear I saw a wave of understanding and he gave a slight nod. Oh, Chaos…I was getting sympathy from Shadow. This _was_ serious

I had to get out of there. "I'm going on a run. I'll be back… later." Without another word I rushed out the door, not even pausing at Tails's cry of protest.

The last thing I registered before I left the house was Shadow's voice.

"Give him some space. He needs it."

XXX

The run didn't help my head. If anything, it only irritated me more. Every sonic boom just made me remember my dead family, how I wasn't able to save them and how . At one point I fell on my face and bawled for about a half an hour, unable to to think of anything but how that lunatic destroyed everything I had ever loved, and somehow had the nerve to _celebrate_ the day he killed my whole family.

I was tough. I could take a lot. There honestly wasn't much that I couldn't handle by now. If I hadn't trained myself over the years to roll with the punches and bounce back with a smile, I probably would've gone insane. But Robotnik knew how to push my buttons. All of them. The ones that hurt.

This was the first time in years that I couldn't just ignore the problem or pretend I was fine. Robotnik had done a lot of ugly things to me before, but this really took the cake. There was no way I could blow this off.

Sonic wasn't that into hurting people. He preferred to forgive and forget, to go with the flow and laugh his problems away. No matter what evil, sadistic crap Robotnik pulled, Sonic could never bring himself to really hurt him. After all, Robotnik was still a person. Who was Sonic to decide to gets to live or die?

Maurice, on the other hand, was all for giving 'Botnik a taste of his own medicine. This was unforgivable, and someone had to bring about justice. Robotnik was going to _pay_ for what he had do-

No.

Sonic couldn't do that. _I_ couldn't do that. Robotnik had killed my family. Sonic- _I_ could never bring myself to become anything like him.

Maurice, however, was still deciding.

XXX

The wind whistled through my quills and made me shiver. Sometimes I envied Tails when he sat in the cockpit of The Tornado, but not today. I was glad for the chill of the wind. It reminded me that I was able to feel something other than an insatiable need for vengeance.

It was as if Maurice had broken out of the shadows and forced his way to the front of my mind. Feelings I had bottle up for years had finally surfaced- Anger; hatred; unbridled rage that I struggled to keep under wraps. I was afraid to even speak in case that Maurice's voice would replace Sonic's- _mine_. Besides, I had nothing I wanted to say.

So I crouched on the wing of the biplane, ready for action, for a fight. Oh, how I wanted to fight… Robotnik wouldn't know what hit him...

"Um… Sonic? Are you feeling okay?"

I pricked up my ears and turned to Tails, who looked concerned.

"I'm fine," I said flatly, turning away. I was _so_ not in the mood for this.

"Then, um… why do you look so mad?"

"I said, I'm _fine._ "

"Sonic, come on. I'm not stupid. What's going on?"

Maurice wanted to snap at him, to tell him to mind his own business and leave me alone. But Sonic couldn't- _**I**_ couldn't do that.

"... I just don't want to talk about it right now, okay?" I said quietly, unable to look Tails in the eye. "I'll tell you later, promise."

Tails studied me curiously, seeming to detect the insecurity behind my voice. Sometimes I wished he wasn't so smart. Then he wouldn't be as good at figuring things out.

"Alright, then… if you're sure you're okay," he replied.

"I'm sure. Let's just… go."

We rode in silence the rest of the way; The only sound I was aware of now was the deafening hiss of the wind and Maurice's near-constant thoughts of revenge. I was going to make him hurt, make him beg for mercy… No, stop it. Stop thinking like that.

Even from this high up, I could make out where the factory was on the ground. I motioned for Tails to lower the plane a little, then once we were only a few dozen feet above the building, I jumped, spin dashing directly into the roof. I dimly heard the shattering of the wood and brick and felt aware of the splinters digging into my skin, but the only pain I felt was from how tightly I was clenching my fists.

" _ **ROBOTNIK!**_ " I roared, my voice echoing through the deserted factory. " _Where are you?"_

I searched around aimlessly for him, running at top speed around the premises, but he was nowhere to be found. If this was some sort of prank… a way to rile me up, get me mad enough to make a fool of myself…This was low, even for him.

One by one, each of my other team members filed in, ready for a fight but disappointed when they found nothing but me. Soon, they had all arrived, watching as I stood shaking with fury; If this was a joke, I wasn't laughing.

"Why're you hiding, 'Botnik? Chicken?" I called out, getting more keyed up with every second he didn't show. "You wanted a fight? You'll _get one!_ "

Behind me, the slow, infuriating sound of smug applause drew closer, sending shivers up my spine.

"Goodness me, my dear rodent! We _do_ have a temper, now, don't we?"

I whipped around to see him walking ever so slowly towards me, that satisfied grin bringing Maurice farther and farther out of his shell until he and I weren't even different people anymore. Before I could register what was happening, I spin dashed right at Robotnik's round belly; and fell on my face. That was impossible; It was almost like I had…

Passed right through him.

I picked myself up and glared at the now-glitching hologram of my worst enemy. He chuckled.

"Tut, tut! Not that I would _expect_ you to have any manners, Hedgehog, but I don't believe that is the proper way to treat your host, not at all. Didn't your mother ever teach you that?... Oh, that's right…" His sick grin grew wider, showing off a mouthful of yellowing teeth. "Silly me."

If Shadow hadn't intervened, I think I might have lost it completely. He teleported in front of me and crossed his arms, scowling, "What is this about, Doctor?"

I expected Robotnik to be disappointed that Shadow had shown up-less of a chance of him winning, in his head. But to my confusion, his grin only spread wider. Was he… happy about this?

"Ah, Shadow. The Ultimate Lifeform has come to play! How delightful. The more, the merrier!" His teeth gleamed, reminding me of fangs.

"You did not answer me, Doctor," said Shadow, crossing his arms and glaring. "What is this about?"

"You Hedgehogs always ask the very best questions. But-" Robotnik paused and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, swarms of robots came flying out of hidden compartments in the walls. "I believe I'll let you find the answer on your own this time. Ta, ta, rodents!" The hologram blinked out for a second and Robotnik was gone.

Okay, time to focus on the threat. I scanned the area; no ordinary SWATbots this time. I spotted a Metal Sonic in the corner, and… a Metal Amy? Metal Tails?

Oh, no.

As I studied each robot closer, I realized that these weren't any normal badniks; somehow, Robotnik had built robot duplicates of Team Sonic and even Team Dark, and they weren't bothering to conceal their weapons. I was used to seeing robotic versions of me, but this was just unnerving.

I didn't have much time to dwell on this, though- these bots were looking to pick a fight.

Shadow was a little caught off guard and before he could move his robot double rushed forward and shot two cuff things on his inhibitor rings. Shadow growled and attacked the thing without hesitation. His bot looked pretty normal except for the guns on his hands. Shadow himself looked a little… confused. Metal Shadow attacked with bullets and some really weird Chaos attacks I had never seen in my life. He had the average spears, and blasts, but then there was these sudden explosions that seemed to come out of nowhere. Oh, and he could fly without rocket boots and seemed to know what Shadow would do before he did it. Meanwhile, Shadow… seemed to be struggling with summoning even a Chaos spear. He kept pausing and trying to pull whatever the things on his wrists were off before ducking and dodging, running around at top speed. (He later managed to tell us via com that whatever the bot had shot him with seemed to transfer his chaos energy to the bot and he was unable to teleport, summon chaos spears, etc.)

The Metal Knuckles seemed to have razor blades sprouting from its hands, arms, and dreadlocks, and was slashing at Knuckles without mercy. This may sound easy, but there's one thing I've learned with Knuckles: he's physical combat, not weapons. So imagine an unarmed man dodging someone with two swords and is skillfully trained. Not fun.

I expected the Metal Amy to have hammers, but instead it had some kind of ball-and-chain thing, I was later told was a mace. She yelped and flipped backwards out of reach, summoning her hammer to try and block it. Her bot would often wrap the chain around the handle and yank it out of her hands, costing Amy some reflex time summoning another one (Okay, seriously. How many hammers does she have?)

Metal Rouge could fly just as well as her namesake, and had bright turquoise laser beams she shot out of her eyes and hands. Rouge didn't seem to appreciate it very much.

Metal Tails honestly didn't look so bad, just a robot twin with sharp claws and a blaster in its chest. Tails was doing just fine against it, and it actually looked like he was winning- until I heard him scream. It wasn't even grabbing him, just pressing its palms into Tails's back. It wasn't until I saw crackle of electricity that I realized what was going on. Robotnik had electrified that robot, knowing full well about Tails's hatred of it. A hatred that was Robotnik's fault in the first place. This just got _personal._

I had just enough time to kick away the Metal Tails before Metal Sonic rushed me, again. He was pretty average: rocket boosters, claws, and the strong silent type. And he still had his famous move: the chokehold. Whatever. I've dealt with it before.

And then I got blasted in the face with a fire hose.

Or at least it felt like a fire hose. When I came to, I was able to piece together the fact that Robotnik had outfitted this version with water cannons. Perfect. Just perfect.

I tried to dodge the blasts of water, but it was difficult to go very fast when the ground was so slippery. I hardly had time to breathe with how much I was getting hit- and it was making me mad.

As the fight went on, it didn't seem like I was making any real progress at all. Metal Sonic always gave me a workout, but now that he had water on his side, I couldn't catch a break. Looking around, it didn't seem like anyone else was doing very well either; Rouge and her bot were wrestling on the ground, Rouge dodging lasers firing left and right; Tails was… flying in circles, occasionally throwing a wrench or something at the bot. Metal Amy was swinging her ball-and-chain like a wrecking ball, and Amy was constantly having to whack it away. Knuckles had been smashing his bot with nothing but scratching the paint job as the result. And even though Knuckles was red, I could tell that he was bleeding.

It's not like I was _expecting_ an easy fight. Far from it. If Robotnik had the nerve to bring up the fact that he killed my entire family, he'd better have brought his A-game if he wanted to survive. But for once, these bots weren't falling apart, no matter what we were throwing at them. What were these things made of?

The first wrong move came from Amy. She was tired and I don't think anyone really was shocked when we heard a cry of pain and she dropped to the ground, unconscious. I tried to run to help, but got thrown across the room by another water cannon-ball. Before I could even shake the water out of my eyes, Metal slammed into me and pinned me to the ground as I kicked in protest.

In the sky, Tails was hit by a blast of electricity and dropped with a scream before passing out. Knuckles's feet were knocked out from under him and his robot slashed his back thigh, making the echidna cry out in pain before being pinned to a wall. Rouge's wings and legs were pinned down to the floor by her bot. Based on her language, she was _not_ happy about it.

Last, but not least, Shadow. I'm going to be completely honest. I did not see this coming at all. Shadow was shot in the leg. Three times. And do you know how he reacted? He grunted. GRUNTED. Faker's faker then pinned Faker's arms behind his back and held him slightly off the floor, ensuring that some weight was on the injured leg. It looked painful, but Shadow only seemed annoyed.

"Bravo, rodents! Goodness me, you really _do_ know how to put on a show, now, don't you?"

Robotnik's hologram was back, walking towards me and clapping smugly. While I was distracted, Metal took the opportunity to grip me in a chokehold, tilting my head up and forcing me to face the doctor.

"I must say, you've done quite remarkably, Hedgehog. Far better than I expected when we began this little game all those years ago." he said curtly, his lips curling into a sadistic grin. I couldn't speak with Metal's arm gripping my throat, so I spat at his feet.

"Tut, tut, Sonic! Watch yourself!" he chuckled, flicking me hard on the cheek. Wait… this wasn't a hologram. This was the real Robotnik. "Come now, let's have us a little chat, shall we?"

Robotnik snapped his fingers and Metal clamped something cold and metallic to the back of my neck. I felt a jolt of electricity ripple down my spine… and then I couldn't move. Metal snatched up my quills in his fist and dragged me behind Robotnik. I wanted to fight back, but it was like my entire body had just shut down.

We made our way up to a balcony overlooking the fight on the ground floor. With Metal Sonic propping me up, I had a perfect view of my friends as they strained against their Metals... and were slowly but surely losing. It was painful to watch.

"Aren't they wonderful, these beautiful machines I've created?" said Robotnik with pride. "I've been working on these masterpieces for months now, tweaking and improving them until they were absolutely flawless. They've been specially designed for you and your friends, you know. Everything you struggle with, these robots excel in. And the best part is, unlike you and your friends, they never tire. They'll fight till the end of eternity if I give the command. Fortunately, that won't be necessary…"

He chuckled, coming to watch alongside me. "It's been difficult these past few months. Death traps are very difficult to set up, and making sure they challenged you to the maximum limit took long hours of thought. I hope you appreciate the time I've invested in your demise over these past years."

"Oh, yeah… I _really_ appreciate it." I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Robotnik grinned, his eyes shining with pleasure at my position. "Oh, but you really should! My bots were recording every second of your hopeful demises which I then studied for every type of weak point in your physical, mental, and emotional state. And I mean _every_ point."

He pointed at Amy, who still hadn't stirred, "Miss Rose, for instance, is very good with her hammer until she is up against another weapon that does not involve some form of blaster, either laser or cannon-ball… that was a horrible mistake. Never should have tried that. The clean-up alone… But I digress.

"I've noticed that your little girlfriend has a very short temper, but rather than getting flustered in battle, the adrenaline keeps her going… for a while. Eventually in her wrath, she'll make a mistake. But unfortunately for her, she has no big blue hero to save her this time."

I gritted my teeth so hard I felt like my jaw was breaking, "She's _not_ my girlfriend!"

"That's all you're concerned about?" Robotnik raised an eyebrow. "My, my. We do need to keep our priorities in check, don't we? Let's move on to my next subject. Your little friend Miles seems suitable."

"Leave him out of this."

"Too late! I've observed Miles is afraid that he will let you down, an easy fear to prey off of. Because of this, he tries to fight a lot like you- with one exception. His two tails give him the unusual ability to fly, the logistics of which I still do not understand completely…" Robotnik paused and frowned, "For this reason, any sort of 'weapon' he uses seems to come from a toolbox, which is rather useless unless he can somehow dismantle my robots without getting himself killed. Useful little weakness for me. And of course his aversion to… what was it… electricity?"

I growled and tried to lunge at him, but found my body still frozen.

"Let's see, where did that originate from again?" Robotnik grinned evilly. "Oh yes, I remember. Do you remember, Sonic?"

"Very. _Vividly,_ " I snarled, wishing to get my hands on him.

Robotnik chuckled, "All your friends were quite easy to catalog… with the exception of Shadow. He remains a challenge… hence the parasitical chaos amplifiers installed into Metal Shadow. Simply attach them to his inhibitor rings and all of his chaos-related abilities are transferred to the robot." Well, _that_ explained something.

But Robotnik wasn't finished. "And now, rodent, we move onto _you,_ " he said nastily. I felt a twitch in my left pinky finger and hoped that the freezing was wearing off.

"I've been watching you, Hedgehog. How long has it been? Six, perhaps seven years?"

I narrowed my eyes and clenched my jaw. " _Eleven._ To the _day._ "

He laughed out loud this time, and a bubble of fury rose up in my chest. "Oh my, my, my, my, my… I had almost forgotten! You know, you're an even bigger nuisance than your father. Much bigger. What a shame that my robots didn't finish the job when they had the chance. Well, I won't be making that mistake again..."

I was able to wiggle some of my fingers now and I didn't think that it would take much longer until the effects wore off completely- then Maurice would… I didn't know what Maurice would do. Sonic told him that we needed more time. We needed to stall.

"So, uh…" I started, averting my eyes away from him. "I'd kinda like to know what my dad used to do that ticked you off so bad to _kill him and his family_. Mind explaining?"

"Oh, don't even get me started with that wretched blue pain in the neck. Every time I'd destroy a village, even just a tiny one, he'd ruin everything by jumping in and _rescuing_ people! Then he'd help rebuild the village, of all things!" Robotnik seemed to get really easily distracted. Good for me; both my arms had regained most of their feeling. "Then there were the dozens of militias he organized, getting the villagers to fight back! Some of those insolent worms even tried to raid one of my factories, all because of that infuriating hedgehog. Like father, like son, I suppose, only you're ten times worse. I'll give your father one thing, he was far less fond of the, er 'direct approach' than you are."

That's right, 'Botnik, keep talking. I'll be able to move in just a little longer, then-

"So it was quite the delight to kill him personally. Did you know how flammable fur is? Almost burned my fingers after I lit the match."

My ears pricked up and my hands began to shake. "Robotnik, I'm warning you-"

"Your mother was very stupid," The mad man ignored me. "Tried to save your father and had you run into the forest to your… who was the other man?"

"My _uncle_." I was shocked my teeth hadn't broken from the force I was biting down on them with. Every word out of my mouth was painful and nearly unbearable.

"Uncle. Thought he was a relative. Looked similar enough. It was so _satisfying_ to bomb his little cottage with him and your, siblings, were they? I do so enjoy the sound." Robotnik leaned down next to me and grinned in my face, "You're the only remaining member of your family… the only one I've let live for this long. And just as that night, you will watch everyone die," he motioned towards my friends either unconscious or struggling with their bots, "Helpless to save them."

Maurice lost all patience. I tightened my fist and slammed it as hard as I could into Robotnik's face, blood spurting from his nose. Metal immediately grabbed my arms and yanked them back as I began to scream at Robotnik every insult I could think of.

Robotnik snapped his fingers and a tissue-box was brought by one of those annoying bees. He wiped the blood off his face, "My, my, we do have a temper…" He smiled, "Of course, this is a little concern."

Robotnik abandoned his quiet voice and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "Now tell me, Hedgehog. Who do you wish to watch die first?"

Rouge gasped and looked up from her position, her eyes wide, "Excuse me? Who worked for you a few years ago?"

Knuckles didn't really look surprised at the outburst and Shadow didn't even flinch.

I struggled, beginning to panic. "No one! You aren't killing _anyone else_ , Robotnik! _I'm_ the one you want, leave them out of this!"

"Not an option, I'm afraid. The rest of them irritate me almost as much as you do."

Rouge was still complaining about the unfairness of the situation and Tails was just barely starting to stir. For once, I wished he would stay down.

Robotnik's eyes scanned the struggling Mobians before finally resting on-

"The pink one, shall we?" He snapped his fingers and pointed at the bot before turning me, "Should we light her on fire as well? Or perhaps a good old-fashioned maiming? Yes, that sounds just _splendid_ right now."

"ROBOTNIK!" I think I almost broke my arm trying to get out of Metal Sonic's grip, but even with my mobility returning fast, I couldn't break free.

And that was when everything went from terrifying to just… weird.

As Metal Amy was preparing to smash Amy's skull with her mace, everyone struggled to break free even harder than before. I felt numb and frozen, wanting to help her but being held back by my own shock. Amy was going to die. And I was going to watch.

Suddenly, Amy jerked upright and leapt to her feet, readying herself in a fighting stance. Even from a distance I could make out her fierce expression. Metal Amy tried to smash the real one, and Amy just dodged every swing and, for a reason I didn't understand, punching and kicking the robot. It felt like Amy and her Metal counterpart were the only two in the room, battling with such intensity that I couldn't tear my eyes away. Metal Amy tried to lasso Amy's legs with her chain, but that only gave Amy the advantage as she jerked the mace right out of the robot's hands. Swinging it like a wrecking ball, Amy smashed the mace into the bot's head several times, until assorted pieces of metallic shrapnel were flying in every direction.

" _NO!_ " shouted Robotnik furiously. "That shouldn't have been possible! My observations… she shouldn't know how to use that type of weapon…"

I grinned at Robotnik's discomfort and silently cheered on Amy as she tore her bot to smithereens. With a loud crunch, she slammed the mace straight into Metal Amy's chest, striking the fatal blow. The light in the robot's eyes flickered for a moment and went out.

I almost didn't notice the glint of blue that rolled out of the bot's chest, not until Amy picked it up to examine. My eyes widened in disbelief; it was a Chaos Emerald. That robot had been powered by a Chaos Emerald. Amy and I looked at each other and nodded; it was like we could read each other's mind.

Amy ran over to where Shadow and Rouge were pinned by their Metals and knocked the bots away, then did the same to Tails's and Knuckles's robots. Tails was still unconscious, but coming around. Knux got up, shakily at first but was quickly able to get back in the game despite his slashed leg. Tails took a little longer to recover, but was back in action in no time.

Amy led the team really well, actually. While everyone focused on distracting their Metal, Amy focused on helping them and swinging the mace and tearing them apart before her temporary partner retrieved the Chaos Emerald from inside. I watched with excitement and was itching to get out there and help, but Metal Sonic had me in a wrist lock and I was still partially frozen in my feet. Besides, they looked like they had it covered, and I could be content to watch Robotnik go crazy. He tried to call in some emergency SWATbots to give my friends some grief, but they smashed those rust buckets easily while dealing with Metals.

Metal Tails was the first to go- not to anyone's real surprise. I don't think I've ever seen Tails so angry… well actually, I don't think I've seen him so angry unless it's me in the kitchen. He literally ripped the helicopter tail off and smashed it on the ground while Amy took care of the body.

She then switched over to Metal Rouge, Amy continuing to use her robot's mace instead of her usual hammer. Rouge distracted by diving and kicking whenever she could. Metal Rouge blasted at the two with her laser beam, sending Amy flying back into the wall with a lucky hit.

"ARRGGH! THOU BRUTISH FIEND BORN OF WITCHCRAFT, THY TRANSGRESSIONS SHALL BE PUNISHED!" Amy stood up with her mace and glared with a ferocity I had never seen before.

I swear, it was like everything froze in place to look at her. And I mean _everything_. Even the Metals paused and stared for a moment.

Tails was the first to speak, very confused, "Uh, okay, _I'm sorry_ , but are we living in the Dark Ages?"

Amy suddenly found the chain on her new mace very interesting, "Um… no, I just…"

"Can we talk about this later?" Shadow and his Metal returned to their brawl, jerking everyone but Amy back into the fight.

I watched her as she hesitantly raised her weapon again, "Um… You, uh… stupid robot! Um… You are going to- uh- pay for that! Yeah!" She then threw the mace as hard as she could, annihilating the bot with ease. Rouge eagerly dove in and pulled out the purple Chaos Emerald, her eyes shining.

Knuckles threw his bot off him and hobbled to his feet before pointing a finger at her accusingly, "You are _not_ keeping that!" Rouge immediately voiced protest until Shadow ordered her to help him with his stubborn bot.

Okay, I was officially getting bored. I yanked as hard as I could at Metal Sonic's grip, but was still unable to get free. Robotnik seemed especially ticked that two of his Metals were nothing but scrap. He ordered Metal Sonic to go help after putting me in chains- but I managed to slip out and sprint across the room, spin-dashing into a very stubborn Metal Knuckles that was about to cut the echidna's head off. Knuckles nodded his appreciation before we returned to our doppelgangers.

Amy was trying to pull her new mace out of a robot but seemed to give up. She flicked her wrist and pulled her hammer out of thin air, slamming it into Metal- _Woah, wait a second._

I sped over and kicked Metal Knuckles sending him flying, landing next to Amy "Um… Amy?"

She glanced at me, an eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

"What in _Chaos_ happened to your hammer?"

She looked a little confused looking down at the weapon in her hands. Her expression turned to shock and she looked back at me. "I am... unsure." Her red and yellow weapon had been replaced with a bronze and maroon hammer with giant spikes on the circumference on its head. It looked a lot heavier than her normal hammer, but she didn't seem to notice the weight difference at all.

"Less talking, more _smashing!_ " Knuckles yelled from his new predicament of getting a cut on right arm. Knucklehead must be more injured then I thought for the situation to get this out of hand. Metal Sonic interrupted me before I could comment and I went back to trying not to drown from his water cannons.

Somewhere behind me, I heard Amy finally finish off Metal Knuckles, then she suddenly appeared and slammed her weird hammer into the back of Metal Sonic, breaking through the plating in a few simple swings. She grinned at me before tossing the turquoise emerald in my direction.

The last bot standing was Metal Shadow, to no one's surprise.

Shadow himself was struggling with his wounded leg, trying not to worsen the injury and get the inhibitors off his inhibitor rings… apparently. While he was dealing with that, we all tried not to get killed by sudden explosions in midair with no warning and a bot that had a warning sense.

Robotnik had vanished- no surprise. I felt Maurice's anger begin to rise, but forced it down. _Focus on the here and now, not the... then._

" _Sonic!_ " Shadow yelled as he grappled with his Metal.

"What?" I replied.

"Go… erg!... Super! You need to- Arggh! Hurry!"

We were all fighting Metal Shadow at this point, but were still hardly able to make a dent in its plating. With Shadow's chaotic abilities hindered and the rest of us badly wounded, the bot still seemed to be stronger than all of us combined.

I gathered up all my strength and spin-dashed into the Metal's head, hearing a loud crack and hoping it wasn't one of my bones. "What? Why?"

"ROSE, DUCK!"

Amy yelped as she dropped to her stomach, Metal Shadow getting flung across the floor by a very angry, very broody hedgehog.

"Just do it, hedgehog." Shadow snarled, obviously losing patience.

"But we don't-" I paused and spun-dash into Shadow again before being thrown back by some invisible force field. "-have all the emeralds! CHAOS! HOW MANY SKILLS DO YOU HAVE?" I ducked as hundreds of mini Chaos spears flew over my head.

Shadow frowned and mumbled something incoherent. He tried to yank his inhibitors off again but miserably failed, cursing under his breath. He pulled the green emerald out of midair and threw it at me. "The last one is in my robot. You will have to concentrate to activate it, but it should be fine. I would do it, but I am… occupied. Go Super and _tear it apart_." Without another word he dove at the remaining Metal and entered the fight again. Where he had been previously standing a small pool of blackish green, ink-like liquid remained. I frowned slightly until clicked in my brain a few seconds later. Shadow's blood.

I swear, that hedgehog is _insane_.

I turned my attention back to the fight and Shadow was right about one thing- if we didn't do something fast then not everyone was going to come back alive.

Rouge's right wing was tucked near her back and she was now stuck on the ground, the bruises and burns obvious on her skin and clothes. Tails was still suffering from his many electric shocks and was covered in cuts and bruises, an especially large, bloody slash lining his right arm. Shadow was obviously more injured than he let on, but the blackish green blood on black fur made it hard to see the extent of the injury; But if I looked close enough, I could swear one of his gloves was covered in it, probably from an attempt to stanch the flow. The same went for Knuckles- red on red was very difficult to tell apart, but his shoes and gloves were torn and spattered with blood and his cheek was starting to show a large purple bruise. Amy was probably the best off in the injury department- although I had no idea how she was dealing with the killer headache she should have had from her first knockout.

I glanced down and was shocked to find myself in similar conditions to my friends- one lucky cut from Metal Sonic was especially noticeable as it ran across my chest, oozing an uncomfortable amount of dark red blood. The rest of me wasn't doing too great either; A combination of blood and sweat was running down my forehead in rivets, getting in my already blurred eyesight. The room was spinning like a merry-go-round, and I had to hold my head in both hands to keep steady. If there was anytime for me to go Super, it was now.

Gathering up my energy, I zoomed around the room, gathering up each Chaos Emerald until I had all six. I closed my eyes and concentrated hard to connect with the Chaos field. I felt the vibrations within Metal Shadow and imagined myself extracting them, and as I did I began to levitate.

The stinging pain I had felt before had been replaced by an exhilarating high; the amount of pure energy surging through my veins was enough to send me bouncing off the walls.

But I still didn't feel… right. It didn't seem like I was quite at Super yet, and the only explanation I could think of was because the final emerald was still in Metal Shadow. But I was strong enough now that I could totally take him.

I swooped down on top of the robot and grabbed it from behind, throwing it high up in the air and kicking it up and down like a soccer ball. Just as it was beginning to fall, though, it blipped out of existence and reappeared below me, clawing at my legs and swinging me like a lasso. I probably would've slammed into the wall, but with me being Super, all I had to do was fly around to punch it in the face.

It got seriously annoying, though, trying to teach this bucket of bolts a lesson when it kept teleporting out of reach. I had to fly all over the place to try and catch it, and when I did, I could only land a few hits before it would teleport away again. Coward.

After chasing it around for a solid ten minutes, I'd had enough. I lunged at Metal Shadow from behind and slammed it into the wall, then seized it by its arms, throwing it as hard as I could and ripping them off in the process. It teleported again, but I was ready for it, doing the same thing to its legs, tossing the appendages to the side.

With no way to move around now, the bot was easy prey. I flew all the way up to the ceiling, then dropped, spin-dashing hard onto the bot's already severely damaged plating. I did this three times, and by the fourth, Metal Shadow had been reduced to a lifeless pile of scrap. The emerald embedded in its chest rolled out; I summoned it and had it join the others in the levitating horde around me.

Taking a deep breath, I decided that it was probably time to power down. With Robotnik gone and all the Metals destroyed, there was nothing left for me to blow off some steam on, and I still had a lot of steam to blow off. No one- _no one_ \- makes fun of my _dead family_ and gets away with it.

I drifted down to the ground, my friends swarming me. Despite their many injuries, bright smiles beamed on their faces.

"Sonic, that was great!" said Tails. "Really cool. ...Can we go home now? I think I need to sleep for like, a week."

Everyone nodded in agreement to that, mumbling insults about Robotnik under their breath as they made their way towards the factory doors. Shadow was still trying to remove the inhibitors, which Knuckles promptly crushed off with his fists. Shads grumbled about how Knuckles could have done that earlier in which Knuckles replied with "You were never holding still long enough."

It almost made me smile. I muttered something about catching up with them in a minute, then refocused on the emeralds, ready to power down-

Suddenly, I felt a sharp sting in my forehead, like someone had hit it with hammer and nail. I yelped and clutched my head with both hands; something wasn't right. The usual vibrations I felt from the Chaos emeralds were calm and energizing; this felt wrong.

I began to shake and felt myself sink to my knees, still holding tight to my pounding skull. The color of my fur was fluctuating unpredictably between blue and gold, ripples of chaotic energy making me twitch. What was wrong with me?

Someone cried out a warning… or perhaps it was a concern. At this point, sound had faded into just dull throbs in my head.

I closed my eyes and again tried to focus. I didn't know what, but there was something in the chaos field that wasn't right. It felt new, but at the same time, very, very old. I as I concentrated, I could see something coming into focus… something familiar, but new at the same time…

Out of nowhere came a deafening shriek of a laugh, snapping me out of my daze. It echoed around me, filling my ears and making me feel like I was going insane. My eyes burst open and I saw that my fur's unpredictable coloring had shifted briefly into a dark blue, almost black.

The pain I had felt in my forehead overwhelmed me, crippling my every nerve. I could feel myself screaming, but there was no sound. Only laughter, that sickening, terrifying laughter… I had heard it somewhere before…

Then the world went white.

XXX

My first thought when I started to come around: "Ow."

My entire body felt like it was on fire. I pried my eyes open and found the drained emeralds on the ground around me, dull and practically void of color. I was more concerned about other things at the moment.

The factory had been shredded- that was the best way to describe it. Tiles had ripped up from the floor, doors blown off the hinges and any robot that had been in semi-one-piece was nothing but shrapnel.

I groaned and pushed myself to my feet, cradling my head and trying to remember what exactly had happened.

Someone moaned.

My eyes flicked towards the sound and I swear, I almost passed out again.

Tails was lying on his stomach, unconscious, with a protective arm from Shadow slung over his back. The hedgehog was also unconscious, lying next to Tails. A few feet away Knuckles was in a similar position, but he was lying on his back, his head rolled to one side. Amy was next to him on her stomach, her hammer gone. Rouge was the furthest one in the group, slumped in a ball, most likely unconscious before she hit the ground.

I ran over, my heart dropping into a strange feeling of panic and calm- if that was even possible. All were breathing, all were alive, and didn't look any more injured than they had been before… whatever just happened. No, everyone was fine. Just passed out from a combination of shock and shock waves.

What _did_ just happen? All I remember was trying to power down, then the chaos emeralds not working, then… that laugh. It didn't feel like it was mine. Maybe I had only imagined it.

Then there was no more sound and everything whited out. And now my friends were out cold and the factory that used to be in pretty good shape was practically demolished. Could I have done this?... No, I didn't remember anything like that. Did I pass out too?

" _This is your fault, you know."_

How was this _my_ fault? I didn't do anything. I don't even remember doing anything.

" _You hurt them. You let yourself get out of control."_

Alright, me (or whatever was speaking), how the heck am I supposed to know when Chaos energy gets… Chaotic?

" _You can't. It's hopeless. You're a danger to everyone around you."_

That made me pause. I looked around at everyone, motionless except for their ragged breathing and slight shifts of pain. Was I really a danger to everyone?

" _Let's see: Robotnik wouldn't be attacking them if it wasn't for you. He wants you! Why'd you go and get yourself involved with their lives?"_

Running alone for years gets lonely. I was probably desperate for some com-

" _Oh, for Chaos sakes! It's your fault! Quit denying it!"_

I knelt down next to Tails and gently rolled him over. The memory of the first time Robotnik abducted him popped in my head and suddenly I was six again, watching helplessly as my parents were burned to ashes in front of me. I stumbled back, wanting to forget.

" _You hurt everyone. If you want to keep them safe then do yourself a favor: get away."_

The last time I left, Tails almost died. How the heck is leaving supposed to keep them safe? If anything, it could put them in even more danger.

" _Robotnik wants_ _ **you**_ _the most. He wants to kill them in front of you just to make you suffer. If you're not around, then he can't hurt them. Or you."_

Good point, me.

I shook my head. Was I seriously having a conversation with myself? This day was going worse than I thought it would. I was starting to lose it.

Was it really a good idea to leave?

Okay, think. Pros: Robotnik wouldn't kill anyone if I'm around and… maybe he'll lose interest. I won't have to answer any questions about how I acted today. And maybe I can figure out what the heck happened with the Chaos field without putting anyone else in danger.

Cons: … I'm leaving everyone.

" _Are you seriously debating this? The answer is obvious. Leave. Get out of here."_

Alright, this day has apparently driven me to the brink of insanity. My personality has always been a little… split. But this was just ridiculous.

I needed to clear my head. As gently as possible, I pushed the dulled blue emerald in Tails's hand. I squeezed it tight and smiled, "I'll be back… I promise."

And then I ran.

XXX

Shadow's POV:

Sounds were muffled and distant, but words could be deciphered.

" _I'll be back… I promise."_

A whip of wind and then silence. My head pounded, my arms were lead and my leg ached from where the bullets had ripped through my skin. I knew none of the injuries would matter- I healed quickly enough and although the pain was less than desireable, I could manage.

The uncanny quiet of the virtually deserted factory gave me time to run through what happened during the mission- successes and failures, and, in this case, anomalous occurrences that in no logical way connected with previous encounters with Sonic's team.

The emotion commonly known as "anger" was something you could say I was... familiar with. It can drive anyone to do horrible things, inflicting permanent damage to those on the receiving end. I had learned in my lifetime that there were several different categories of anger. The short bursts appeared to be common in ordinary situations, which could act as the drive for mostly insignificant actions or words they would later regret. Other types of anger seem to seep slowly out and eventually fade, such as when a Mother forgives a child for breaking a cherished heirloom- but holds a grudge into the child's adult years.

Then there was the revenge drive.

Never had I encountered another being who had strived as far as I had for revenge… or at least I had thought that, until Sonic practically exploded this morning. No warning, not even one of his usual smiles; just a rush to finish the job and finish it quickly. If no one else had been present, I suspected that the clean-up would have been… much messier.

Amy Rose's behavior in the second half of the fight was also questionable. No one suddenly shouted in medieval language without explanation. Rose had always been a strange sort of person in my opinion- it is highly improbable for anyone to be that cheerful without putting on an act of some sort- but accusing her Metal counterpart of "witchcraft"? What on Mobius was she going on about?

The Doctor's behavior too, was strange. His interactions with Sonic carried a tension of past fights and eternal grudges that I had suspected, but never seen before. _Almost_ never seen before.

Finally, the explosion… or chaotic shock wave. Whatever it was, it was definitely abnormal. The Chaos Force was behaving in ways I had never seen before. Ever since the incident on the ARK, I suspected that Sonic possessed more chaotic abilities then he let on, or even knew about. Chaos Control with a fake emerald? I was not even sure if _I_ could do that. Not sure if I wanted to know.

I remembered it clearly; As soon as I had my back turned, I sensed something was wrong. When I turned back, Sonic was holding his head as if in pain and his fur was fading from gold back to blue. Miles started to panic and began to rush to try and help when I felt the initial surge.

I had grabbed the fox, pushing him to the ground while instructing the others to get down. The Guardian grabbed Rose and echoed my actions. I had just enough time to form a domed chaos shield around us all before the world exploded into a white-hot flash of nothing.

Which is where I cease my recollection, and find myself now.

A sharp, creaking noise beckoned my consciousness back to reality. My eyes opened and I was greeted by the sight of total devastation; smoke, shrapnel and scrap metal in every direction. The building creaked again, indicating the weakening structure. I had no idea Sonic was capable of this level of destruction.

I pushed back the slabs of scrap metal and climbed out of the wreckage. Luckily, everyone had been inside the shield when the blast hit and were all lying in a pile near the doors, albeit unconscious. A few stirred, but for the most part everyone was still enough they may just as well have been dead. I imagined briefly what the consequences would have been like had I not raised the shield in time. I stopped imagining it.

I counted each body to occupy my mind; _one, two, three, four, five…_ I paused, then counted again, observing closer. Only five.

Sonic was gone.

I disposed of more of the shrapnel, wondering if Sonic could be hidden under something, unconscious like the rest of them. Likely, given that a blast of that magnitude would have overwhelmed his body. Unless there's some sort of chaotic immunity power he has neglected to inform me of.

My search was fruitless; Sonic was nowhere to be found.

The Guardian had awoken and was moaning in the corner; any other time, I'd think him foolish for acknowledging such insignificant details as physical pain, but in this case, I could sympathize to a point. The Doctor's Metal series had been truly formidable- even I had felt their effects.

I rubbed my leg, which was slowly beginning to heal as my connection with the Chaos force had been restored. The pain was still intense, but I chose to ignore it. A certain absent hedgehog was still in the foremost of my mind- and which was promptly shoved aside as Miles awoke and began to cough up blood.

My first priority became medical assistance to the injured. Sonic could wait.

XXX

General Towers was rather perplexed when I returned to GUN Headquarters via teleportation with the unconscious forms of my partner and Team Sonic (sans Sonic). He ordered a team of medical personnel to the hanger and me to his office.

Explanations were given, questions were answered, and tempers were raised on both ends. The General was very frustrated that I was unable to explain Sonic's disappearance and his… Super incident.

"Are you absolutely _sure_ you did not see him run away?" asked the General for the third time.

"General, when I came to, he was not within the facility." I assured him, growing weary of this charade. "I may have heard his voice, but I _did not_ see him."

"What did he say?"

"I believe he promised Miles Prower that he'd return."

General Towers stood at his desk, beginning to pace the floor with a vigor I had rarely seen. Mumbling under his breath he ranted about Sonic's lack of discipline and knowledge, to no surprise. He halted at the window and stared at the setting sun, "Do you know when he'll return?"

"I do not." My temper was starting to flare, annoyed with the prospect of answering the same question over and over again.

"I suppose he needs to clear his head," General Towers frowned, his voice lowering to hardly a mutter. "It's been a hard day. Many memories have been resurfaced and Sonic has been stressed." It was almost as if he forgot I was in the room.

Another confirmation that today was not a good day for the hedgehog. " _Sir._ Sonic was very… temperamental during this mission. His mannerisms indicated that he was distracted and unfocused, which is unlike him during battle. I have reason to assume that you have some knowledge as to why this is."

"It is of no concern to you, Agent Shadow. Dismissed."

 _What?_ Of no concern... the _nerve_ of him...

"My partner is in the hospital with three members of Team Sonic- all seriously and possibly gravely injured." I said with gritted teeth. "Understand, General, that Robotnik nearly killed us all after exchanging a secret conversation with Sonic- who is now missing. It _does_ concern me."

"No. It does not. _Dismissed._ "

"Robotnik mentioned that today was an anniversary of some kind in Sonic's and his past. What happened?"

"None of your concern! You are _dismissed!_ "

I didn't believe him for a moment. "General Towers, I demand to know what is going on."

"And I am informing you that there is nothing that concerns you, nor is your business."

I banged my fist on the table, "What is Sonic hiding?"

"Sonic," General Towers returned to his desk, his eyes narrowed, "is not hiding anything. This confrontation is yet another chapter in Robotnik's and Sonic's rivalry. Nothing is special about this day. Understood?"

" _General-_ "

" _ **Understood,**_ Agent Shadow?"

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists, resisting the urge to kill the man where he stood. _"Understood."_

"Good. For the last time, you are dismissed."

No salute was even attempted as I stormed out of the room. My leg was healing slowly and every so often a sharp stab of pain would prick me like a needle. It was bearable. There was no need to visit the medical bay- no one would expect me to be there, including myself. Something much more important was on my mind.

 _Who is Sonic the Hedgehog?_

 **Yes, we are insane. SHADOW'S POINT OF VIEW. Ugh, his is** _ **so hard!**_ **You have to make it straight forward but descriptive- and that is HARD. But it is also really fun… is that even possible?**

 **Also, AP TESTING IS OVER. Which means I literally have no homework so TYPING CAN BE DONE.**

 **10,000 words for this chapter… I am so sorry. Now you know why it took so long.**

 _ **PLEASE READ FOR EXPLANATION TO STRANGE EVENTS YOU MAY NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD:**_

 **Amy Rose Explanation** **: Alright, Amy suddenly yells in medieval speak and knows how to use a mace. Chaos, I'm just throwing out random jokes at this point, right? WRONG. Okay, so here's the dealio:** __ **IF YOU DIDN'T READ "SHATTERED THORNS" THEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE CONFUSED. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO READ IT BECAUSE I'LL EXPLAIN IT RIGHT HERE AND NOW** **. So I have this weird AU theory about Amy's powers. Yes, I know in the Archie comics it has something to do with the Rings of Acorn and blah, blah, blah, but I don't think that's the same for the games because of a little fact of: I don't see a Kingdom of Acorn anywhere. Amy just suddenly can summon a hammer out of a pocket dimension for no reason whatsoever. So here's my little headcanon: Amy is always wearing rings in the game on her wrists. There is absolutely no reason for it. Shadow has inhibitor rings and Silver has his gloves, but Amy just sort of... has them. For no reason. So in my mind, Amy's right ring is where her powers come from. Over time, she learns how to shape-shift it and can turn it into other rings (hence all the weird designs with her in rings) and she just wears another one on her wrist for balance in her look. This makes sense, right?**

 **HERE COMES THE WEIRD PART: In the AU, her ring has a trapped, ancient female warrior who was cursed by a wizard and she talks in Amy's head. Because of how long the warrior has been in the ring, her memory has gotten a little fuzzy and she has forgotten her name and most of her past. Due to this fact, Amy calls her 'Rin', short for 'Ring'.**

 **No, I'm not kidding. That is this story. NO, SHE IS NOT POSSESSED. Calm down, Amy's fine. She's not insane, she isn't going to suddenly lose her mind. In fact, she'd be dead if it wasn't for Rin. Here's what happened: Amy was knocked unconscious. Rin was trying to wake her up, but Amy was too exhausted. When Robotnik went to go kill her, Rin took control until the battle was over. YES, SHE CAN DO THAT. She did it once before, once again to protect Amy. Other then that, Amy's in charge. So, the weapons… Rin knows how to use one and her hammer looks different then Amy's. Amy will be using her normal hammer the rest of the story, promise. You'll get to meet Rin later on in the story. She's pretty funny. She calls science "witchcraft"… hence the exclamation up above.**

 **If you want the full story, it's only six chapters long and it's called "Shattered Thorns" and it's on my profile page.**

 **SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG EXPLANATION:** **Some of you may have noticed that Metal Shadow was** _ **super**_ **overpowered. It's a headcanon of mine which is as follows: Shadow has a lot more chaotic abilities then he lets on for two reasons. One, he can keep people on their toes. Powers like his are the most useful when your opponent isn't aware of them. Two, it takes a lot of energy to use them, so he generally doesn't. Chaos spears and blasts? Easy peasy. Teleporting? No problem. Reading minds, levitating, machine gun-like chaos bullets, and making things explode with his mind? ...Give him five minutes and a lot of adrenaline.**

 **Metal Shadow has a Chaos Emerald which is pretty powerful, and he doesn't have any sort of limitations that living organisms would have, hence why he is using all of these abilities. Robotnik was actually quite terrified with what happened with Metal Shadow, but was also really excited to learn about some of Shadow's rare abilities. ("Observations!")**

 **Also, the whole "blackish green" blood thing… Well, he's part alien, and I think all of the aliens had blackish green blood, so Shadow has blackish green blood. Which is kinda… weird, but hey, whatever. I mean, we have blue blood until it touches oxygen (that's right, right? Or ar the veins just blue?) so it's not super strange, all things considered.**

 **And his Chaos abilities allows him a healing factor sort of similar to Wolverine's. So fast but not insane like Deadpool's.**

 **Am I missing anything? If so, ask in the reviews.**


	40. Calling in Favors

**PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM. THANK YOU.**

 **Review comments:**

 **lotyyh: (;**

 **StarlightSparks: Can I explode with happiness? … Nope. Dang it! Anyway, I loved your review. One question though: You wanted Sonic to run away? … Just out of curiosity, why? *checks calendar* HOLY CHAOS IT HAS ALMOST BEEN A YEAR. (HALO. We need to do some sort of year celebration or something!) 'Legendary'... I am well please.**

 **MeowthKitty: What is it with us and loving angst? I mean, you'd think the happy parts would be the best, but no. It's the angst.**

 **Hawkfeather: That's one way of putting it. Die, Robotnik, die! Detective Shadow is coming to town. And the General… Yeah, he did keep his word, much to Shadow's annoyance. Good for GUN. *reads last paragraph over and over again* I AM SO HAPPY.**

 **Zosonils: That is the** _ **best**_ **metaphor ever. No, it was just a giant surge of energy that got out of hand but, [SPOILERS] so you're [SPOILERS]. And as for the whole [SPOILERS], HOLY CHAOS. It's always good to understand the references. I love your reviews… Thanks!**

 **Autumn: Aww… you're so sweet!**

 **IcyPinkFlower: They will come or my name isn't *mumbles a name*. As long as you don't flood my inbox with daily "UPDATE" messages, it's fine with me!**

 **Afterburngaming: "** **fantasmaliscous". That is a wonderful word. And yeah, I have a personal headcanon that Shadow feels a semi-obligation to keep Tails safe, when Sonic is a little… unavailable. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Quantum27: Thanks! Hope we keep it up.**

 **Guest who left the giant review: I love how you just summarized the chapter. It showed you actually read the whole thing and really enjoyed it. Plus, it was fun to hear a perspective on what you think happened. And yeah, everyone in here has some pretty depressing pasts… I think Shadow and Sonic are tied in depressing pasts as well.**

 **ultimateccc: Yeah, his friends are sort of glued down in crossfire…**

 **msyafinas: Your review made my day because of [SPOILERS]. As for it being out of Shadow's character- I don't think he's concerned for Sonic, but more interested in what is going on with him. Kind of like a detective. He likes to know about everyone, but doesn't really have a major care for everyone.**

 **That Speedhunter: That makes sense now. I think I listened to 'Believe' but I need to look it up again… I listen to a lot of music so it sort of blurs together sometimes. I have this thing where when things get really intense, I like to have a brief break in the intensity that doesn't completely derail the issue. So like Amy suddenly yelling in medieval time language lightens the really terrifying moments of narrowly escaping death. You'll find it a lot throughout the story.**

Sonia's POV:

The day started to go down hill when Manic crashed the van. I would like to say it wasn't my fault, but… Hey, it wasn't _completely_ my fault! Manic had a part in it too!

Let's just put it this way: Manic and I arrived at Station Square before realizing that we didn't really know how to get to Angel Island. I'd only been once, and I was blindfolded on the trip there and distracted on the way back. And since it was a mystic island it wasn't like we could pull someone over and ask for directions.

Then Manic got his bright idea. "Let's check with Rouge. She knows everyone."

The accident occurred because I was trying to convince him that was a bad idea. Like, a really bad idea. The worst idea he's ever had.

No other car was hit. In fact it was more of a dent in the bumper than anything, but Manic was still panicking.

"MY BABY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" He jumped out of the car and ran to where we had scuffed the front.

"Are you _talking_ to the _car?_ " I asked incredulously. Even after living with him for over six months, I was still getting used to his arsenal of quirks.

"SAY SOMETHING! _ANYTHING!_ MAKE YOUR BEAUTIFUL MOTOR HUM LIKE IT DID IN THE OLDEN DAYS OF A MINUTE AGO! WITH CHAOS AS MY WITNESS, _I WON'T LET YOU DIE!_ "

"Man- _Matthews!_ Knock it off! You're making a scene!"

We had decided to go back to calling one another by our fake names, at least for the time being. It would be easier than having to awkwardly explain to Knuckles that I'd been lying to to him about something as important as my real identity. Nope, it would be much simpler to just go by Sofia until our business was over.

This was one of the worst birthdays ever. Seventeen years old and I'm lugging my younger brother around the city trying to find his ex in order to find my ex, both of whom probably hate our guts. Happy Birthday to me.

Once Man- _Matthews_ had calmed down enough to see that it was only a dent ("A really big dent that will take FOREVER to fix!"), we realized that we were only about a block away from where he said Rouge's apartment building was located. I had no idea how he could remember that, but Matt seemed to have a knack for remembering random places and things that really didn't serve much purpose (try and get him to remember anything more useful, and it takes _days_ ).

We walked up the sidewalk lined with high-end shops, and I had to admit, this area was kind of nice. Definitely on the upper class side of town and a lot easier on the eyes than the usual slums Manic seemed to be so comfortable near. No cruddy hot dog vendors or hoboes sleeping in the gutter, not even that much garbage on the ground. I could get used to this.

We arrived at a beautiful luxury penthouse building with white pillars and rosebushes in front. I felt a little more than out of place among all the filthy rich people who could afford to live here, but Manic didn't seem to care or even notice. He just walked in like he owned the place, and I decided it wouldn't hurt to follow his lead. The ride up the elevator I had to watch him very closely; he had told me before of what he used to do when he was bored.

Mani- _Matthews_ led the way up to the top floor to the third room down down the hall. He raised his finger to ring the buzzer, then paused. Caution or worry weren't emotions my brother expressed very often, but it was written all over him now.

"Hey, um… sis?" he said quietly. "Do you think she'll kill me?"

"Uh, _yes._ " I crossed my arms and glared, "Which is why I'm saying: this is a bad idea."

"Oh yeah, and paying your hermit ex-boyfriend a visit is a _wonderful_ idea. I'm in awe."

"Shut up, it's all I got."

"Well, this is all _I_ got!" he retorted. "Look, me and Rouge were never exactly together, but I got to know her well enough to learn that she's got contacts _everywhere_. If your ex really does guard some giant magic jewel thingie, I'd be willing to bet that Rouge knows him- or at least knows of him. The point is, she can help us, probably."

"Probably?"

"I'm ninety-nine percent sure she hates my guts," he said, shuffling his feet. "Man, I never should have stood her up… think she'll ever forgive me?"

"Well…" I said, shrugging. "We'll have to see, won't we? Who knows, maybe she'll understand."

This seemed to reassure him a little, and with a trembling hand, he pressed the buzzer.

XXX

Shadow's POV:

I have never been fond of meetings with Sonic's team. The main objective is nearly almost sidetracked due to their incessant chattering and joking around.

Although, I suppose the hedgehog's absence helped keep everyone focused. Miles was especially panicked as he paced around Rouge's coffee table, ringing his hands together.

The Guardian was standing at the window, gazing at the setting sun. "He's probably fine… I mean, it _was_ a hard battle."

"Knuckles, he hasn't answered a single message." Miles shook his wrist communicator to emphasize his point. "It's been two days! He'd at least check in!"

Amy sat on the couch playing a card game with Rouge. (They claimed it was War, but I suspected Canasta had been crossed over with some form of poker). She placed a hand down, smiling at Rouge's frustration before responding to the fox's concern, "Tails, we all know Sonic isn't the most reliable when it comes to communication. Maybe he's just out of range."

"He would have gotten my messages and would have at least responded with a text. I know Sonic better than anyone, and _something is wrong._ " Miles pulled a screwdriver out and began to twirl it in his hands.

I remained in the corner. No one noticed me. That was how I preferred it. It was surprising how much one could observe when one kept to himself.

Amy Rose was obviously much more worried about Sonic then she was allowing herself to show. Her eyes continued to flicker to the door and window, with her fingers nervously flipping through her cards. The Guardian was acting in a similar manner; His eyes continuing to scan the horizon, never looking away for a second.

Even Rouge was concerned- as she was continuing to lose to Miss Rose. Typical.

Sonic's extended disappearance confirmed my suspicion. Something about that fight with Doctor Robotnik had not been right. Everyone knew it. Yet here we all were, sitting in Rouge's apartment, ignoring that fact. It was driving me mad. Ignoring a problem would not solve anything. I was preparing to verbalize my frustrations when-

 _Ding._

Rouge placed her cards down and dusted her gloves off. "Now who could that be?"

"Sonic?" Tails wondered hopefully.

"Doubtful. He doesn't know we're all here." Rouge rolled her eyes. "Probably my landlord about this month's rent. One sec," She exited the living room.

Miles and Knuckles struck up a conversation regarding possible locations Sonic could be hiding in. Amy put her cards down to listen in on their discussion.

" _MATT?"_

Everyone froze in place. I raised an eyebrow as the front door slammed and Rouge came storming back into the room.

A muffled yell was heard and someone began to bang on the door, "Aw, come on, Rouge! It was an accident! Can we talk about this?" The accent indicated an urban origin. Most likely downtown. Uneducated.

Knuckles frowned, "Who in _Chaos_ is that?"

"No one. It was a solicitor. Let's forget this ever happened." The bat's voice dripped with a venom I had only seen reserved for the worst of her enemies. Hmm.

He frowned and listened to the banging and shouts a little longer before tilting his head at the door, "May I?"

"Be my guest." Rouge picked up her cards again and turned to Amy, "Your turn, hon."

Miles watched in perplexion as the echidna cracked his knuckles and marched to the front door. I found the prospect of whoever was at the door being greeted by the Guardian rather… amusing. My ears strained to hear the door open and Knuckles growl.

"Look dude, she doesn't wanna see you, so why don't you just _scram_ before I-"

His voice suddenly cut off, and there was a long pause before the door was slammed even harder than the previous time, causing the paintings to swing and the windows to rattle. The Guardian came marching in mumbling to himself.

"Of all the hair-brained, idiotic, stupid, Chaos cursed-" his speech continued on with the insults and the banging on the door got harder for a moment.

"Hey! Um… hey, what was his name? … Knuckles! Wait! Come back!"

"Matt, _shut up!_ " a higher voice was heard. Female. Southern, if I wasn't mistaken.

"What? I'm trying to help you! Knuckles, open up!"

Rose forgot about the card game, standing up and peering down the narrow hall, "What is going on out there? Knuckles, who was at the door?"

" _No one."_

Miles pointed at the door. The banging had stopped but the raised voices were still present, muffled and incoherent. " _That_ was not _no one._ "

"That," the echidna buried his face in his hands, "was Sofia."

"Your ex?" Rouge's eyes widened. "What in Chaos is your ex doing at my door?"

"I… I don't know. And with her _boyfriend_ of all thi-"

Rouge's throat let out a strange sound that seemed to be in between a scream and growl. "She's _dating_ _ **Matthews?**_ "

"Wait, you know him?"

"That _idiot…_ After I did him a _favor_ … The nerve of him..." She crossed her arms and legs, her glare hard enough to make an hardened soldier shake in his boots. "That petty, double-crossing, good for nothing street thief… _Oooh_ , I'll kill him!"

The voices outside had died by now and I assumed the two strangers had lost interest. I was... not correct.

"ROUGE! _ROUGE!_ OPEN UP, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!" Matthews's banging suddenly returned, his terrified tone of voice causing me to perk up.

Rouge rolled her eyes and drew another card. "Ignore them. They'll leave eventually."

"ROUGE, PLEASE! LET ME IN!" The pounding ceased again, but the shouts continued.

I lost my patience with the screams after about thirty seconds. I may not be the romantic type, but I know one thing that was unacceptable- showing up on your ex's doorstep with their replacement, and making a scene in the process. No one tried to stop me or even questioned my motives as I moved from my corner down the hall. I swung open the door, ready to teleport the two away if necessary.

What I found was... unexpected. A green hedgehog in clothes that looked like were dug up from a trash can was on the ground, cradling a pink hedgehog in a blouse and skirt. She appeared to be unconscious and the boy looked terrified.

His expression grew a little more frightened at the sight of me, but he swallowed it down and pleaded, "Please… she has seizures like this all the time, but it's never-"

Sofia began to convulse, her body shaking violently, her breathing uneven. And to my personal shock, I sensed a large quantity of Chaos energy emanating from her. "Matt" had a similar reading, though not quite as strong.

"-been this bad. Please…"

Why me?

I bent down and scooped the girl up before carrying her into Rouge's apartment, Matthew tailing behind me.

Rouge did not look happy. " _Shadow_ , I think I made it pretty clear that I _don't_ want these two in my hou-"

Out of nowhere, Sofia screamed, her back arching as her hands grabbed at her hair, " _GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_ "

Any hard feelings there were disintegrated. Sofia was whipped out of my arms and laid on the couch by a very frightened Knuckles. Amy ran over and tried to hold the thrashing girl down, quietly comforting Matthews with the promise that she had been medically trained. This didn't seem to console Matthews in the least.

Rouge ran into the kitchen before returning with a heavy duty medical kit. I returned to my corner, content to watch the scene play out.

"What happened to her?" asked Knuckles softly. It was clear that the Guardian still retained some affection for the unconscious hedgehog, even if he continued to deny it.

"I… I don't know. We were arguing and then she passed out. She's done it before, but… then she started shaking, and saying all this weird gibberish, and I… I don't know what to do!" Matthews sounded as panicked as he looked, slurring his words as he spoke; his hands were constantly knocking on things and tapping together. He never stopped moving. Was it a nervous tic, or…?

Miles joined me in the corner, fully aware he would be more in the way then be of any real assistance. "What do you think is wrong with her, Shadow?"

I frowned and continued to observe Sofia. She was still having difficulty breathing and she gasped out in words, some in Mobian and some not. I continued to hear words repeat such as, "Eldest... Warning... Emerald... Dark..." A chill went up my spine for no reason whatsoever.

"I do not know," I replied, choosing to leave it at that.

Knuckles and Matt were getting in an argument, to no surprise. Knuckles was insisting that they call an ambulance while Matthews pleaded for him not to, assuring him that she would be fine… most likely. It sounded more like he was reassuring himself than anyone else. Amy was having difficulty holding Sofia down and treating her with _Rouge_ of all people as an assistant. I knew first hand how difficult _that_ was.

After several minutes of this I had had enough. Their methods of solving the problem were clearly flawed, yet they did nothing to change them. Idiots. I marched forward and placed my right hand on her forehead before sending a pulse of energy into her mind, then pulling away.

Sofia sat up, gasping for air, her arms hugging herself, eyes closed. "Oh Chaos… Oh Chaos…"

I walked back over to my corner. I was not about to get involved in any romantic issues that were certain to occur momentarily.

"Soni- _Sofia!_ " Matt grabbed her hand, "Are you okay? Tell me you're okay! Right now! Say it! _Please!_ "

"Yeah, I'm fine, I think…" she replied uncertainly. "What… what happened? We were fighting, and then it all went black, and..." Sofia shuddered and refused to disclose anything more.

"You had one of your, um… seizures." said Matthews. I noted the hesitation on the word with a slight frown.

"My seizures-? Oh, Chaos… Mani- _Matt_ , where are we?"

Again, my frown grew. Something didn't ring true about these two. There was a definite sign of Chaos energy emitting from both but neither seemed to acknowledge it. Not to mention that this was yet another instance of peculiarity in the past several days. First Sonic's Super form incident, then the General's insistence on withholding necessary information from me- now this.

I wasn't sure if I could handle anything else.

"We're, um… we're in Rouge's apartment." said Matthews with great deal of discomfort. He stared at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with anyone but Sofia.

"Oh… great." Sofia sounded annoyed by that information and she buried her hands in her face before looking up and giving a shy wave to the echidna. "Hey, Knuckles."

" _Hi_." His tone was cold and unfeeling. Scratch that- it appeared that he was once again on the edge of unbridled rage.

I took that as my cue to leave. Miles was in the kitchen filling a glass of water for Sofia and everyone else was busy with the... guests. It was obvious this would take some time to clear up, and that was time I was not willing to waste on these two. I had my own mystery to sort out.

I went unnoticed as I exited the apartment. No matter. It was time I had some private words with the Doctor about a certain blue hedgehog.

XXX

Sonia's POV:

Worst.

 _Birthday._

 _ **Ever.**_

I really didn't expect to see Knuckles today, tomorrow, or for a few weeks- if at all! Yet, here he was, angry, furious, and handsome as ever- _wait_. Shut up, me.

Man _\- Matthews_ , was no help. He was too busy trying to make amends with Rouge, using a combination of shameless flirting and groveling on his knees. It was pathetic.

"Can you _at least_ let me explain myself?

"Y'know, I would, except the sound of your voice is driving me to consider cold-blooded murder. Your… _girl_ over there is fine now, so for the last time, _get off my property before I throw you off the building._ "

"You say the sweetest things."

I rolled my eyes and buried my face in my hands. "Okay, so you don't like him. Got that. Matt, shut up and leave the bat alone!"

"Hey, it wasn't _my_ idea to come all the way to Station Square just to see your ex!"

"I told you, it was all I had! And remember that _I_ said it was a bad idea to see your… what is she?"

"One-time partner and potential girlfriend that I never got a chance to date."

Rouge smacked Manic on the back of his head, fuming. " _Potential girlfriend?_ Get over yourself, loser."

"Okay, first of all, _ow,_ " said Manic, rubbing the spot where Rouge had hit him. "Second, if you would just _listen_ for a minute, I could explain to you why I've been kind of a jerk to you."

"Remember what I said about throwing you off the building if you didn't get out?" she hissed, narrowing her eyes. "Clock's ticking, Maniac."

Matthews gulped; Was she serious? She couldn't be serious.

That may have dragged on forever if Knuckles didn't interject. "Woah, wait a minute- what was that part about coming to see _me_?"

Chaos. This was going to take a lot of explaining, wasn't it? "Um… Okay, so for the sake of making this short as possible, we need a favor." As soon as the words left my mouth I knew I should have worded that differently.

Knuckles crossed his arms and glared, "I'm sorry, a favor? From your ex-boyfriend? The one _you_ , not me, _you_ broke up with?"

Pink hedgehog in the room made a face and the fox winced. Who they were, I had no idea, but I didn't think I'd get to have time to be introduced.

"Um…"

Matt facepalmed. "Told you this was a bad idea…"

"Did you really think you could just show up on my doorstep and ask a favor?" Knuckles was very angry and I honestly couldn't blame him.

"For the record, I _did_ try and call you. About six times. It went to voicemail."

"Maybe I didn't want to talk to you!"

"Well, maybe I wanted to apologize!"

"Well, _maybe_ I've moved on and don't want anything to do with you!"

Matthews snorted. "Dude, you texted her for two months after you broke up. There is no way you 'moved on'."

Why does my brother have the habit of making situations worse? Knuckles glared at him, his rage growing very apparent, "Yeah, I did!"

"Prove it."

Okay, I would like to interject for a moment and point out a few things. The first is that Matt and I did not have any of this planned out which made for very awkward and misunderstood conversations, thus causing a very, very, uncomfortable situation. The second is that Matt, being the idiot he is, was trying to help but making it worse. And finally: Knuckles was very angry and determined to cut all ties from me. Can't say that I blamed him. With my appearance and Matt's pressuring, it drove his own decision making skills out the window. Knuckles is a terrible liar. I learned this early on in our dating, and it was one reason I liked him. He is not a liar by nature.

So the next words out of his mouth, I didn't believe for a second.

Knuckles was obviously in some sort of panic, his eyes darting around nervously before focusing on the bat Manic seemed to like so much. He drew in closer to her and wrapped his arm around her, glaring fiercely at me. "Rouge and I are dating. How's _that_ for moving on?"

The bat whirled around and stared at him, her expression blank but her cheeks bright red. The two seemed to have a silent conversation for a moment before Rouge smiled wickedly at Matt, wrapping her arm around Knuckles's waist.

"Yeah," she said slowly. "That's right. See, Maniac? You ain't the only guy interested in me."

This situation was just getting worse by the second. Pink hedgehog squealed out, "Why didn't you tell me?" with the poor fox kid in the back just staring with his jaw dropped.

"W-woah…" the fox sputtered. "Why.. You and Rouge… Knuckles? _What?_ "

Rouge sidled in closer, Knuckles beginning to look slightly uncomfortable but trying to mask it as frustration with me. Rouge wrapped both hands behind Knuckles's head; She licked her lips and pulled his face to hers, kissing him full on the mouth.

It felt like time had stopped.

I snapped out of it when I heard the sound of shattering glass, realizing too late it was the cup I'd been holding.

"Omigosh, I'm _so_ sorry!" I exclaimed, immediately beginning to pick up the shards. One cut me on the finger, but I hardly noticed the pain. She kissed him. That disgusting tramp _kissed_ him.

My emotions literally began to fight inside my mind. Jealousy really wanted to smack the bat upside the head while Practicality tried to remind me it was just a lie. Hope rose up and helped rein back Jealousy, singing at the top of its lungs, "He still likes you!" Frustration started calling for an escape out the door and of course Revenge began to grin evilly and think of a plan.

Knuckles looked very uncomfortable but his anger was still very much in control, "I'm not the only one who can find a replacement, _Sofia._ "

And now Disgust rose up in my chest and threatened to hurl my lunch out of my stomach. This just kept getting better and better, didn't it?

Okay, time to get this situation from spiralling down even further out of hand. I took a deep breath and placed my fingers on my mouth. "Alright, before anyone else does anything, let me breathe for a second." The shards of glass were thrown in a trash can brought in by pink girl, and I gathered my thoughts.

I would like to say that Honesty won out in the end and that I apologized for everything before telling the whole story. Unfortunately, I can't. Jealousy was raging and Revenge called for a team up. I almost laughed out loud. Knuckles wanted to play that game, huh? Well, I could play it too!

Challenged accepted. And I would _win,_ but not in the way he planned.

"First of all," I started. "The only reason I was coming to ask you a favor at all was because I knew you were the only one who could even begin to help me since it has to do with a Guardian thing."

Knuckles's eyes grew slightly wider and he frowned. "Uh…"

"But _clearly_ , I made a bad call and did not approach this correctly so we'll just forget all about it." I forced a quivering smile and made a motion to the bat still clinging to the echidna. "As for your new… _relationship_... I'm happy for you!" I'm not the best actress, but I could definitely fake it better then Knuckles.

Rouge snorted.

"No, really, I am! I was just surprised. That was why I broke up with you in the first place. Long distance relationships are never fun and I didn't want you to be tied down by me when I didn't even know if I was coming back." I gave a winning smile at the bat, resisting the urge to yank out my handgun and force her away from my ex. Rule number one on getting revenge on your boyfriend: pretend you don't care- no matter how hard it is.

Knuckles face was still angry, but I saw the small light of doubt in his eyes; I had to hold in the evil cackle that threatened to burst out of my throat. Oooh, this was too good. (I had been spending too much time with Manic…)

"And finally," I motioned at Matthews, who was still too flabbergasted at the sight of Rouge kissing another guy, "As for _him_ being my... my... " I gagged. " _Boyfriend…_ I think I'll use a phrase Matt says very often to me: ARE YOU _INSANE?_ "

Everyone winced at my shriek, but I ignored it, "Why on Mobius would I ever even _think_ about dating him? I would rather _die!_ Ew!"

Matt went pale and looked like he was going to puke. "Holy-! You thought-? _UGH!_ MOUTHWASH! EW! That's- that's… That's disgusting! _You're disgusting!_ "

Knuckles rolled his eyes, clearly not believing a word of this. "Oh please, it's obvious from the way you two were fighting in the halls and how worried he was about-"

"Knuckles, he's my _brother_." I folded my arms and glared slightly, "My _twin_ brother."

I struggled to stifle my laughter at the look on Knuckles's face. He pointed at Matt, then at me, seeming to have lost the ability to speak coherently. "He's your… you two are… I… Um… _What?_ "

I ignored his shock and gave a sweet understanding smile. "Once again, sorry for the misunderstanding," I shrugged. "I guess I wasn't clear enough on that." Without another word to him, I stood up and dusted off my skirt, ready to make my exit. "Come along, _brother dear_. Let's leave before we break something else." Like Knuckles's sanity.

Matt followed obediently, shaking his head in distaste at Knuckles and Rouge, who were still glued to each other's side. I shut the door rather loudly and walked far enough down the hall that I'd be out of earshot; When we stepped inside the elevator, I started laughing.

Matt looked at me like I was crazy. "Um… Sonia? What's wrong with you?"

"Wrong? Nothing! Everything is going _perfectly!_ " I kept laughing; this whole situation was so absurdly hilarious that I couldn't stop. I was beginning to scare myself. Matthews eyed me warily and took a couple steps back.

Eventually, I calmed down and was able to start acting like a normal person. When we got in the van, Matthews (who was still keeping his distance), demanded an explanation on the absurdness that had taken place two minutes ago.

"What, your mind reading thing didn't pick up on it?" I asked.

"Uh, _no,_ " he replied. "I tried, really, but your emotions were so off the charts that I couldn't pick up on anything else. …And FYI, your ex was lying to you about dating Rouge."

"Well, duh. I knew that from the start, he's a horrible liar."

" _Wait-_ -" said Matthews, the gears turning in his head. "If you knew that the whole time, then you… Holy crap, you were playing him?"

"Yup."

Suddenly, I was being hugged tightly around the middle. Manic looked so proud I thought he was going to cry.

"My sister's first underhanded scheme… I'm so happy for you! You go and manipulate that boy back on your side, ASAP! _I believe in you!_ "

I couldn't help but smile. This definitely wasn't over.

XXX

 **Cut!**

 **Sonia has an evil side, who knew? You should see when I get all 'revenge-y'. It's not pretty… Speaking of which:**

 _ **PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY AS IT CAN AFFECT YOUR UPDATES ON THIS STORY:**_

 **Rant time: Alright so I'm not going to use names, but for the past… let's go with two months I've let this slide so my annoyance has been building up. And so as the issue. Now my annoyance is at it's peak and it is starting to turn into anger so let's just get to the root of the problem and pray it get's over with.**

 **Next time someone curses in the reviews I'm** _ **WITHHOLDING THE NEXT UPDATE FOR A WEEK.**_

 **And I will lock Halo out if necessary.**

 **I know that seems harsh, but I don't know how else to get this into some people's skulls. Maybe I'm overreacting but…**

 **It's really not a lot to ask. I mean, I'm not asking you to refrain from all caps, a word shortage, or make every review excessively long or positive. Seriously, use any substitute you want! Flip, dang, drat, scrap, kriff, shoot, quiznack, Chaos, etc. Any fandom, any whatever. Heck, come up with fake words. I'll give you props for the little "*", but it's still sort of obvious.**

 **I get that it's in some of your vocabulary and it's how you show you're excited but it's one of those annoying ticks that sets me off. It's like asking some kid who excessively taps on the table or is clicking a pen over and over again to please stop because it's annoying you.**

 **And if you think I'm joking, ask Halo. I'm very stubborn and will not change my mind.** _ **She won't. Trust me.**_


	41. Rouge's Rage

***reads all reviews* Well, Kriff. Good news: no one cursed. Bad news: I could have worded things a little better…**

 **Alright let's try this again:**

 _ **PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING**_ **:** **It is not ONE person.** **I had several people think that it was just them and IT WAS NOT. If it had only been one person, I would have just PMed them or asked them in my comments to please stop. But it was NOT ONE PERSON. So those of you who are thinking 'OH KRIFF THIS IS ALL MY FAULT' stop it right now. Part of this whole thing is my fault. I've been letting it slip and pushing the issue aside when I should have confronted it in the first place and not leave it to rot and build in my mind. I think part of the reason is I'm just having a lot of junk right now and I suppose it is easier to take your anger out on people who you don't know. That wasn't right of me and SINCERELY APOLOGIZE. So as of now, I'm rescinding my 'no update for a week' BUT, I still am asking you to not curse in your reviews**

 ***takes deep breaths* Okay… due to that, comments on reviews will be at the end of the chapter. Let's try and think happy now.**

 **Manic's back!**

Manic's POV:

I opened the back doors of the van and took just enough steps forward to fall face down on my bed. Man, I'd forgotten how much of a crush I had on Rouge.

Sonia had asked me more than once why in the world I liked her so much, and to be honest, I didn't know. I had no chance with her. She probably hated me (it was still hard to read her- those mental walls, man). But I still tried to make things up, which was really difficult when she wouldn't even give me the time of day.

I figured that it would be smarter to give up and stop chasing her already, but there was just something about her… every time I thought about her, I got kind of excited and uneasy, and really happy. Like an adrenaline rush.

I couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was that I liked so much, just… her. As a whole. She was awesome and strong and smart and she had the those cute little fangs that you could see when she laughed. I liked her- as in, I _liked her,_ liked her. There wasn't a day that had gone by since the night at her apartment that I hadn't kicked myself for standing her up. I could've, _should've_ done something instead of doing what Sonia said and getting out of town. At least if we had delayed our trip by one night, I could've explained everything to Rouge, and things would be just fine between us. Heck, we might've even started a long-distance relationship. … Actually, scratch that, it doesn't seem like it'd be Rouge's thing.

"Um… Manic?"

I lifted my head; Sonia stood over me with a puzzled expression, but it seemed to click pretty fast what was bothering me.

"It's Rouge, isn't it?" she asked.

I nodded. She rolled her eyes, "Manic, you've been doing this for over a week. She's not going to forgive you anytime soon. You just have to move on and quit making a fool of yourself."

"Not that easy, sis. Need I mention you and Knuxsy?"

"...Touche. But at least I'm not begging on his doorstep every day for him to take me back. And don't call him Knuxsy!"

"It's fun to say. Knuxsy, Knuxsy, Knuxsy, Knux- OW!" Sonia can hit _hard,_ dang it.

"I tried to warn you," Sonia fiddled inside her purse before pulling out a notebook. "I'm going shopping. Need anything?"

"The secret to a girl's heart."

"Sorry, fresh out," she replied dryly, rolling her eyes again.

"Oreos, then."

"That," she smiled and wrote something down on her pad of paper, "I can do. I'll be back by five. Try and find something productive to do that isn't something illegal or having to do with Rouge." She swung her leg over her motorcycle and made sure her purse was securely over her shoulder. "What am I saying? You don't listen to me." Sonia pulled her helmet on and glared in my direction.

I grinned, "Sorry, can't hear you on the account of I don't listen to you."

"Just don't get yourself killed." Sonia turned on her bike, revved the engine, and was off speeding through traffic and probably breaking several laws in the process.

I think I've started to be a bad influence on her. I wasn't sure how I felt about it.

I began to absentmindedly drum my fingers on the edge of the bed, anxious to do something but unsure of what. I wished Sonia had stuck around so I could talk to her. Sometimes she was a really good listener, and sometimes not, but she usually paid attention when she saw that I needed it.

 _Our hero, the Awesome and Heroic Studmuffin Manic the Hedgehog, weary of chasing after the most beautiful and impossibly unattainable woman in history, reclines on his bed with a sigh. No matter how he attempted to woo her or reconcile with her, she continued to reject his sentiments. Not that he was getting discouraged or anything, what kind of a wimp do you think I-_ _ **our hero**_ _is?_

 _As he puzzled over potential forms of allurement that would most likely fail, our hero felt the crushing weight of lost love, a romance that could've been but the cruel fates denied. Oh, woe was him..._

Maybe Sonia's right- I'm overreacting. Or just going crazy.

I sighed. Why couldn't I get her out of my head?

She hadn't even talked to me today; I was going to her apartment to try and talk to her, since she would hang up every time I tried to call, but when I got there, that fake boyfriend of hers was hanging around. And yeah, it was pretty dang obvious that he was faking it. Rouge might be able to guard her secrets, but this guy was an open book.

I didn't like him. He _clearly_ didn't like Rouge at all, at least not enough to be her boyfriend. He was just using Rouge as a tool to make Sonia jealous, which was bad enough on its own, but the worst part was that I could tell that Rouge actually _did_ like him- she wasn't trying to put on a show like Knuckles was. And he's just taking her for granted. Not that it's my business for anything, but I think that's pretty messed up.

I didn't even knock on her door today- I literally had my finger up to ring the buzzer and overheard them arguing from inside. I got out of there pretty fast- besides, all I was there to do was beg her to give me another chance, like that was ever going to happen at this rate.

I got to my feet; I couldn't stand this. I needed to move, to clear my head. I grabbed my Extreme Gear board in the corner, hopped out of the van, and took to the skies.

It felt good to be back in Station Square. Flying over the familiar cityscape was comforting in some ways; I'd missed seeing the streets where I'd grown up. While I drifted above the tall, dirty buildings in my old neighborhood, I would occasionally recognize a member of the Strikers. I flew down a little closer and was a little taken aback when I saw Rick, the douchebag who sold me out all those months ago, sporting Meerkat colors. I flew directly above him and spat, delighted to see that I had landed a direct hit. I was less delighted when he spotted me and pulled out a handgun from his jacket. He shot at me a couple times, but it's a little hard to hit a target that can do loop-the-loops while throwing trash at your head.

I felt tempted to go say hi to my buddies at the pawn shop, but decided against it. Sonia would kill me if she ever found out I was still associating myself with the gang while we were trying to look for Maurice. So, instead I glided over a couple blocks to where I remembered the hot dog vendor usually set up; However, he was nowhere to be seen. In his place was… a corn dog cart.

Sweet.

I bought one with the spare change I had in my vest, one with as much ketchup and mustard and cheese that it could hold. Heaven. Just heaven. Never will I eat another lowly hot dog- corn dogs are the only snack food for me.

While I was eating the dog, for some reason I thought of Rouge. Again. Why was a _corn dog_ reminding me of Rouge?... Why was _literally everything_ reminding me of Rouge? I knew I should be trying harder to stop thinking about her, but… I didn't want to. Thinking about her was kind of nice.

I checked my watch; it had been over two hours since I had almost tried to go to Rouge's place. Knuckles had to have left by now. He had _better_ have left by now. Even if he was faking his relationship with her, it still ticked me off that they were so touchy-feely with each other, all the time, _every frikkin' day of my life…_ But I digress.

Without even needing to think about it, I flew over to Rouge's side of town and landed on the roof of her apartment building. I entered the building through the trapdoor and headed down to Rouge's apartment.

Okay, Manic. Man up. This won't be like the other times she slammed the door in your face and told you to drop dead. Just be cool.

Holding my breath, I rang the buzzer and ducked out of the peep hole view praying that she was home and Knuckles wasn't.

The door opened, and for a brief second, Rouge's face had been hinting at an almost-smile, but the moment she saw me, it twisted itself into a ferocious scowl.

"You again?" she groaned, ready to slam the door in my face for the umpteenth time.

"Yes. Please just lis-" I was cut off by her hurling the door shut. In a moment of panic, I jammed my in the door just in time, wincing as I heard the crunch.

Rouge glowered at me in disbelief. "What are you-? Get your foot out of my door!"

"Not until you hear me out!"

She snarled and began slamming the door repeatedly into my foot. It was agony, but I'd be worth it to get this off my chest.

"Rouge, look- _OW!_ \- For the millionth time- _OW!-_ I'm - _OW!_ \- sorry! I didn't- _OW!-_ \- mean to stand you up! Can you- _OW!-_ \- _**please**_ let me make it up to you?"

She ignored me, or at least I thought she was ignoring me until her fist barreled into my gut, sending me backwards. While I was down, she took the opportunity to shut the door as hard as she could. I heard the click of the multiple deadbolts and sighed. She wasn't going to give me a chance, was she?

Well, _too bad!_

It took me about three minutes to pick the locks and sneak inside. Rouge was sitting on her couch watching the UFC fights with disinterest, and I'm not really known for my subtlety, so…

"Surprise!" I said, jumping in front of the TV and doing jazz hands. Rouge flinched in shock, her jaw dropped.

"What- How did you get in here?" she demanded.

I held up a bobby pin and grinned. "You should really consider upgrading your security."

"Get out, right now."

"I told, I ain't leaving until you listen to me! Just _siddown_ and hear me out!"

"You think you can order me around in _my own house?_ \- or anywhere else, for that matter?"

"I'm not trying to order you to do anything, I'm just sick of you ignoring me when I'm trying to apologize!" I was getting more and more frustrated with every second. "Would it kill you to just _talk_ to me?"

"There's nothing to say," she huffed, crossing her arms and glaring.

"That's not true and you know it. I've already said I'm sorry about a zillion times, and I've already explained why I stood you up in the first place. What else do you want from me?"

Rouge sat down on the couch and looked me straight in the eye, glowering so fiercely I almost shied away. "What do I want from you? I did you a _favor_ , Matthews. More than just a favor- I _saved your life._ And when you asked me out afterwards, I thought it was kinda sweet. Then I go wait for you for who knows how long, and you never show up." Rouge looked away, her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. "You made me look like an idiot. And when I tried to find you the next day… you were gone. Disappeared again.

All this talking was actually opening up a few of her mental walls; I had figured she'd be hurt over me standing her up, but I had a feeling it wasn't really about that. Not completely.

"Rouge…" I started slowly, sitting down next to her. "I mean this from the bottom of my heart: I am _so, so_ sorry. And please believe me when I say that I'll do _anything_ for you to forgive me."

She eyed me suspiciously. "Anything?"

" _Anything._ "

She was silent for a moment then began to lean in closer, never breaking eye contact. I felt hot all over, droplets of sweat beading at my forehead. Maybe I shouldn't have said I'd do "anything".

"So that's how you wanna play it, huh?" she said, her voice hardly above a whisper. "Fine then. I'll play your little game. But understand something, Matthews: No one- _no one_ \- makes me look a fool and gets away with it. You wanna make this up to me? Then I'd better be seeing some _sacrifices._ "

"S-sacrifices?" I stammered. "What kind of sacrifices?"

"Oh, I dunno," she said casually, examining her nails. "Maybe an organ."

"An organ?" I asked, a little confused. "Like… a musical organ?"

"No," she said. "The other kind."

…

"... the other kind?"

"And I'm talking _vitals_ here. Don't bring me an appendix."

Unbelieveable.

I guess the look on my face must've been pretty hilarious because Rouge's grimace melted into a smirk. "Oh, and one more thing: unless you want me kill you in your sleep, you'll stay away from me until you bring it to me- with _proof_ that you didn't just steal it from the hospital."

I opened my mouth to voice some sort of protest, but Rouge put her fingers to my lips. I felt my cheeks burn. "Shhh…" she crooned. "The 'stay away from me' part starts now. No talking."

Slowly, I got up and began to walk out the door. I had almost made it into the hall when she spoke up again.

"Good luck, Matthews!" she called, the laughter in her voice sharp and obvious. "You'll need it."

XXX

"She wants your _what?_ "

"Please stop talking. I'm still in shock."

I stared up at the ceiling of the van; for once, my mind was completely blank. No racing thoughts. I was numb. I was going to lose an organ. My life was literally over.

"Okay, see, this is why you don't date people like Rouge- they're all psychopaths!" Sonia ranted, practically fuming. "That… that… _woman_ probably wants your organs for one of her trophy case or whatever else demons like her do! I _told_ you she was bad news!"

Okay. I get it. Sonia really, really hates Rouge. Understandable, in a twisted, passive aggressive sort of way- Rouge _was_ dating her ex. Or pretending, at least. But this may be yet another case of her overreacting and taking out her fury on the closest target available- namely Rouge.

Then again, why the _heck_ does Rouge want my organs? That's just… that's just wrong! Maybe this was just her roundabout way of telling me to drop dead. She couldn't possibly be serious.

But with Rouge, you honestly never knew.

"Sonia, back off," I said flatly. "You're exaggerating and you know it."

Her eyebrows raised. "You're seriously defending her?"

"No. I just don't think she's the devil incarnate."

"Yeah, well…" Sonia trailed off, muttering to herself. She got out her sketchbook and began to scribble furiously- probably a picture of Rouge being burned at the stake or something. I sighed, taking out my drumsticks and tapping absentmindedly on my lap.

Rouge said she didn't want me to speak to her or seek her out unless I had an organ for her, probably gift wrapped. There had to be a loophole in this. These sort of things always had loopholes.

XXX

Sonic's POV:

You ever get that feeling that something isn't right? I'm not talking about normal stuff, like when you're the teacher and you walk into a completely silent classroom full of teenagers. Or when you're driving down the road and there's that guy who's begging for money but he has 100 dollar headphones that look brand new.

No, I'm talking about the feeling of being watched when you're alone in the woods. That kind of feeling.

The exact kind.

I was currently leaning against a tree alone with my thoughts- and weren't they wonderfully depressing- when I got that feeling. Again. My eyes flicked open and once again-

-No one was in sight.

I groaned and shut my eyes again. For the past week, I had been trying to get a grip on my emotions but found them a little… scattered. I had meant to go back to the team after my birthday was over, but that day had come and gone and I was still here.

" _What's wrong with you? You have to put up an act for your friends, run from your past,_ _ **and**_ _try and keep the past from repeating itself. Don't you just want it all to go away?"_

It was getting exhausting. Maybe I should tell everyone about my family. It would make things a whole lot easier… They were bound to be suspecting that something was up at this point.

" _Oh yeah, tell them. Then they can think you're some kind of poor wittle orphaned psychopath who wants bloody revenge on Robotnik. Great idea."_

Shut up, me.

At this point I think I was starting to go insane from being alone for so long. Ugh. I stood up and stretched out my legs. My watch beeped again, the signal of another attempt from Tails to contact me- the third time today.

He must be worried sick. I hadn't responded in a week- he may even think I'm dead. It was time to stop running.

" _You're so pathetic."_

I frowned slightly, pausing with my finger hanging over the 'answer' button. I scanned the area around me, but found no one. Man, I was really starting to lose it. I just needed to call Tails, have him pick me up and sign up for a GUN therapy session. Maybe I should start taking those seriously.

Tails probably missed me- I know I was missing him. Just because I'm having… issues, doesn't mean I should push away my friends. It was selfish. I had left Tails alone before, and that had been a horrible mistake. When I got back, I'd apologize and take him to one of those model shops or libraries he like. We could have lunch in the park and then… I could tell him what was going on. Sonia, Manic, my parents… If anyone deserved to know, it was my little brother.

" _Him? What's he ever done for you? Relax, he probably doesn't even care that you're gone. Nobody would."_

My fingers froze again. I looked up, examining every shadow, every leaf, and every trunk. No one in sight. I could have sworn I heard someone… must have been my thoughts being all depressing again.

" _All you ever do is whine. Just shut up for two seconds, will ya?"_

My hands dropped to my sides, the watch and call long forgotten. There was someone talking to me. Someone I couldn't see. Someone that wasn't me.

The shadows seemed to grow darker and the temperature dropped as a chilling laughter filled the clearing.

 _Definitely_ not me.

XXX

 **Sonic, Sonic, Sonic… What am I going to do with you?**

 _ **Give him hugs and chili dogs.**_

 ***facepalm* Yeah… he's gonna need those.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Erik-The-Okapi: I'm not sure I understand the request… You want to what?**

 **Hawkfeather: I don't think Shadow needs a magnifying glass… Maybe I'm wrong. That is a high rating! Thanks! And no, I didn't know. But then again, I am the 'Sonia' of my friend trio so… maybe I'm a Psychic! (Yeah, no…)**

 **ultimateCCC: … Who?**

 **Afterburngaming: Yep, poor little Tails. It may or may not get worse for him… I'm one of those people who forgives and forgets. I really do enjoy feedback- good and bad. It's just one of those things that sets me off… Sorry for overreacting.**

 **StarlightSparks: No that makes sense. And I don't think you're a coward for that. Sometimes it's best to flee from the argument, especially when it is about your beliefs. It's one of those things that if the other person isn't respecting your opinion, then you just need to get out before it turns into an all out brawl. But running from everything doesn't get rid of your problems. There's that fine line of both you have to make sure you keep in check.**

 **Guest #1: Well… I don't know how he would seeing as he 1. Doesn't know Sonic has siblings and 2. It's not like Hedgehogs are rare. I mean, Amy is a hedgehog and no one thinks they're related or any thing.**

 **MeowthKitty: Knuckles face… I picture that moment when you realize that you had a paper due in class that day crossed with when someone tells you spoilers for a new movie you were looking forward to seeing.**

 **IcyPinkFlower: Happy Birthday! Aww… thanks. (and I won't get annoyed. Promise.)**

 **Autumn: Sonia's evil side is very scary… as we may or may not see in the future.**

 **Caisha12: *Era reads three times before passing out in shock. Halo rushes over and revives her with smelling salt.* … I have no words. Just… Percy Jackson comparison. Oh quiznak! (I don't think I used that correctly what whatever). VLD is one of my favorite shows and- KRIFF I HATE THE CLIFFHANGER FOR SEASON 2. UGH! I honestly didn't think my headcanons were really far out there or anything, but go ahead and adopt them (which ones are we talking because I just want to know which ones you like).**

 **Random reason: LOL. I am so happy when I prove my brother right so I'm happy for you. That is wonderful. Hope you continue to enjoy.**

 **Luna Hedgefox: Yeah… kinda makes sense. Oh, that was you. Okay, cool. Also… I cannot believe you read 'Living in a Shadow'… *slams head on desk* Oh, that story… I need to burn it with fire and chuck it in the trash compactor. It was a kriffin' soap opera that I came up with my old friend DW who was constantly making changes and… Oh, it was just AWFUL. I mean, I think I did a good job on making the characters but the actual story line… Kriff. You can continue it if you want but… it just gets worse.**

 **HDDNeptuneFTW: Hope you liked the update. Sorry for flipping out. But YAY! NO SWEARING!**

 **Guest #2: ... Okay, I think death is a little extreme but… okay.**

 **msyafinas: Thank Halo for Manic's lines. I honestly couldn't come up with half the stuff she puts in. Detective Shadow… I am really looking forward to that. Always expect the unexpected, my dear. (that was just a really bad use of a quote, but I'm gonna roll with it)**

 **That Speedhunter: I don't even know where to start… I suppose I should start with I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so, sorry you think that. If I could, I'd hug you through the computer screen. It is not just you. I really do enjoy reviews and feedback, even negative feedback! It helps me become a better writer. I just… let me put it this way: every time I hear or read a curse, I just get really depressed. I know that sounds lame and dumb and impossible, but that's just how I feel. I can substitute it in my head, but… I don't know how to even say this and I know it's coming out horribly wrong. Most people don't mind cursing (at least that I'm aware of), I'm one of those rare exceptions. But my actions and words should in no way harm other's opinions of themselves. I understand that some people curse when they get super excited or feel happy. That is how YOU show your excitement in your normal life. Don't you DARE change yourself because of what someone said. The main point of social interactions is to RESPECT other's and their beliefs. I am not asking you to halt your way of speaking, even if I do not agree with it. I am simply asking you to respect my opinion on the matter- even when you don't agree with it. I cannot change people's set ways, beliefs, opinions, etc., without first showing respect and understanding for their ways and vice versa. I completely messed up on how I worded that last Author's Note. I cannot begin to describe how awful I feel about it. If you feel that it is best to stop reviewing and reading, that decision is up to you. I certainly don't want my actions to chase you away. I'm going to get a personal here but You. Matter. Don't you DARE tear yourself down by what others say about you. I'm called weird all the time but those unique qualities made me, well, me. People appreciate it when you give your opinion, whether they accept it or not. I should not threaten people to get my way. That was wrong. I honestly don't know what to say anymore. I'd probably stop leaving reviews and reading my story too. I don't know what you're going through. I know nothing I said or did will be removed from your mind. This is a learning experience for both of us. Respect for others and for yourself is a key to your own personal social life- if you respect others they respect you. I used fear, not respect. I am such a hypocrite. I… I can't even… I forgive you 100 times over. I just hope you can forgive me. You are NOT going to Hell for good intentions.**

 ***BURIES HEAD INTO A PILLOW AND SCREAMS*** **I am so angry with myself. Excuse me while I go bang my head against a wall for the next hour...**


	42. Desperately Seeking Sonic

**HOLY CHAOS HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO GET TAILS'S POV BACK? No, seriously, why did it take so long…? It's been what, 42 chapters? It's nice to get back to the sassy lil' fluff-ball, though.**

 **Comment on Reviews!**

 **Afterburngaming: Thanks!**

 **DarkPugLord23** **: Well, what will** _ **really**_ **happen is [SPOILERS], not mention a little bit of [SPOILERS]. Oh yeah, and a whole load of crazy insane [SPOILERS].**

 **StarlightSparks: In that case, hope you enjoy this update!**

 **Hawkfeather: Heh, the chili dog cart thing ain't a bad idea… and what Sonia was drawing about Rouge wouldn't give you nightmares. It'd give you PTSD. So happy that someone remembered Havoc, and even happier to have so much positive support from our readers!**

 **IcyPinkFlower: Aw, thank you!**

 **ultimateCCC: No kidding.**

 **Juancastri11: Sorry, sorry, sorry! We actually did see your review, but not till after we published the chapter. Glad to hear that you're still enjoying the story!**

 **Msyafinas: Oh no, Rouge won't be doing any operating… Too messy for her taste. Nah, she's rather watch Manic squirm.**

 **Dimenian: One of your guesses is partially right.**

 **That Speedhunter: *wipes sweat from forehead* Oh good… I was afraid that we scared you off! Glad you're still here! Sonic's situation will start to make more sense soon.**

 **Luna Hedgefox: Well, as a matter of fact, it's** _ **actually**_ **[SPOILERS]. Hope that clears up any confusion! XD XD XD**

 **HDDNeptuneFTW: Hear, hear.**

Tails' POV:

One month. It had been one month. I'd done the math.

Thirty days.

Seven hundred and twenty hours.

Forty-three thousand, two hundred minutes.

Two million, five hundred and ninety-two thousand seconds.

Two billion, five hundred and ninety-two million milliseconds.

No sign of Sonic.

You could say I was officially freaking out.

This wasn't like him. Shadow had told me that Sonic probably just needed some time alone to collect himself. Okay, sure. I get it. He was having a hard day and Robotnik was being more of a jerk than usual. Some time by himself wasn't too much to ask for.

But something was up; Even if he was having it rough, it wasn't like Sonic to disappear for weeks at a time without at least messaging one of us to let us know he was okay- unless he _wasn't_ okay.

Which is why I was currently in the air circling Station Square and looking around for any sign of my adopted brother. Amy was on the ground, navigating the streets on her skateboard I tricked out a few months ago (which included a hovering feature that she loved when speed was required, which was often now that Sonic was gone).

Knuckles was also down in the city on his extreme gear, Rouge flying in loops around him. I still found the idea of them "dating" revolting. _Fake_ dating, according to Knuckles, which had backfired horribly from the looks of it. The Guardian wouldn't stop complaining to me about Rouge being a little too close for his liking. Apparently her… whatever he was, kept stopping by whenever the two were taking a break from searching and she'd kiss him. On the lips.

I shuddered just thinking about it. That was absolutely _disgusting._ Amy thought it was "sweet" how Knuckles had tried to make Sofia jealous- but she didn't exactly approve of his tactics. Or Rouge's motivations. But Amy seems to be the type to constantly need to squeal over something- unless she's looking for Sonic, in which case she metaphorically transforms into a dead serious bounty hunter slash bloodhound.

Speaking of which... "Tails reporting. I don't see him."

"Same here," Amy said over the radio, sounding more than a little annoyed. "Where did he go?"

"Wish I knew," Knuckles's voice was angry. "Then I wouldn't being followed around by… _her._ "

"Aw, hon. Don't be like that," chimed Rouge. "You love me, _remember?_ "

I mentally threw up and turned by attention back to the tracer on my watch. Still no signal. Sonic may have turned it off, or something happened to it. "Maybe we should check with Robotnik…" I commented absentmindedly.

"Where do you think Shadow went?" Rouge asked casually, although I could hear a hint of worry in her voice.

"Shadow can take care of himself, Rouge. Quit panicking." grumbled Knuckles.

"I'm not panicking, sweetie. I'm just asking. I ain't seen him since street rat and prima donna showed up at my door and that's usually not a good sign."

A sudden growl and scuffle was heard from Knuckles's radio, but I wasn't able to catch the words. I had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with Sofia. I groaned.

"Okay! Time for a break!" I called over the radio. "Meet outside the hot dog place for lunch." I hung up before Knuckles and Rouge started arguing again over something small and insignificant.

This was why I didn't do romance.

XXX

Manic's POV:

"I hate this city."

"Can we like, _not_ be related, please?"

"Manic."

"Sonia."

"Manic, I'm serious!" replied Sonia. "What is it about this pigsty that you can't get enough of?"

'The City is Awesome/ The City is Horrible' argument was a topic me and Sonia couldn't seem to get away from. My guess was that all that extra time Sonia spent in the sticks brainwashed her into thinking that anywhere that wasn't the middle of nowhere was evil and wrong. I held the firm opinion that the city was great and that Sonia was being an uptight knucklehead.

"What's so bad about it?" I asked, knowing perfectly well what her answer would be.

"Well, for one thing, it _smells-_ "

"Like heaven." I interrupted.

"Like a _dump_. There's litter everywhere, it's noisy, it's crowded, the people here are unbelievably rude-" Sonia was cut off by a smart car zooming past that would have run us over had she not jumped out of the way in time and pushed me to the side.

"Watch where you're walking!" hollered the driver.

" _Watch where you're driving!"_ I shouted, throwing in a couple choice swear words and obscene hand gestures. After I had gotten it out of my system, I regripped my Extreme Gear board and shoved my free hand in my pocket, continuing as though nothing had happened. "Sorry 'bout that. You were saying?"

Sonia gaped at me in disgust and confusion. "You do realize you're only proving my point. People here have no respect for anyone!"

"Welcome to life."

As per usual, we both eventually gave up trying to persuade each other to our points of view and moved on from the subject and moved on to something a little more important: Finding Maurice.

Yeah, that was still our mission. Things had always been slow going before, but it felt like we had come to a total standstill. We probably would've taken off by now if the visions we've been having hadn't been showing specific places in Station Square. If Maurice was anywhere, this was the most likely place.

Still, it had been a whole month in Station Square and we had turned up with exactly nothing. It was just the tiniest bit infuriating- unless Maurice had decided to take a spontaneous vacation to the middle of nowhere, there was no reason why he shouldn't be in Station Square. All the evidence Sonia and I had collected to pinpoint his location directed us to here.

So _where was he?_

It was as if he didn't exist. Me and Sonia had spent weeks trying to look him up- checking for any variation of his name in old phone books and even hacking into the city records to see if anyone with his description had a rap sheet. And you know what we found? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!

Last night we attempted to trigger another vision, and saw Maurice hanging around near the movie theater in the mall… being kicked out by a very angry usher. Someone else was with him- his girlfriend, maybe?- but the vision was so fleeting we couldn't make out her face. It was impossible to tell if this particular memory happened last week or last year, but we figured it wouldn't hurt to ask if anyone had seen a blue hedgehog hanging around.

What I was having trouble understanding is that every time we asked anyone about a "speedy blue hedgehog", they'd either laugh or look at us like we were idiots.

"You're kidding, right?" asked the magazine kiosk salesman with a frown after we asked if he had seen anyone with Maurice's description. "I don't stock any gossip rags about that arrogant little GUN puppet. Not since he had his diva tantrum and disappeared off the face of the planet. Nope, I try to keep things PC around here. Can I interest you in the latest issue of ' _Mobius Monthly'_?"

"Um…" said Sonia, looking just as uncomfortable as I felt. "Sir, I don't think you understand. He's not-"

"As impulsive and stupid as the press makes him out to be? Maybe. But I can tell you he ain't that big-hearted hero either, so you fanbrats can either buy a 'zine or take a hike."

"How do you know that? Do you know him?" asked Sonia quickly, sounding a bit too on the eager side.

The salesman rolled his eyes. "Sorry, princess. All I know is that there ain't no such thing as a hero or celebrity or whatever that doesn't let the fame get to his head, and if there's any celeb out there who needs to be cut down a few notches, it's Sonic the Hedgehog. And if you ain't gonna buy anything, then beat it."

Sonia looked like she wanted to keep arguing with this guy, but I was able to drag her away.

"What in the world was he talking about?" she wondered aloud. "Who's 'Sonic the Hedgehog' ?"

I stopped walking and stared at her incredulously. "You mean… you don't know?"

"... I know he's friends with Knuckles, but other than that, no _._ Should I?"

"Well, he's only saved the world, like, a _billion_ times," I answered. "He's always in the news for saving a city or fighting off aliens or something. Never read any of the tabloids, but from what I hear, he's got an ego the size of a skyscraper and cheats on his girlfriend- who I think is actually just some crazy stalker who pretends like they're meant to be or whatever. But hey, if he's keeping that Robotnik dude from killing us all, he's cool in my book."

"Then why did that guy think Maurice was this 'Sonic' guy?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe they look similar or something. ...Come to think of it, I've never actually seen a good picture of Sonic the Hedgehog. Sometimes the newspapers have something, but it's always blurred. The guy can't stay still for a good photo."

"Sounds _kind of_ like Maurice…" said Sonia thoughtfully, creasing her brow. "But there's no way. He'd never want to be famous."

"I dunno, sis, a lot can change over eleven years."

"That's true, I guess," she agreed halfheartedly. "But still, I _seriously_ doubt that Maurice could ever be this big of a celebrity and neither of us have been able to figure it out that it's him yet. Plus, if Maurice were famous, wouldn't we see him getting swarmed with paparazzi in our visions?"

"You're right. It ain't him."

"Not a chance."

XXX

Maurice, you son of a gun, you are officially an expert at covering your tracks. I applaud you, wherever you are. I also curse you to the depths of the underworld…

Three hours of asking around and, as usual, all we turned up with was empty stomachs from skipping lunch. It was early in the afternoon now, and neither of us were really in the mood to continue. Sonia recommended we eat before planning our next move, which I heartily approved of.

'Course, that was when our day went from bad to infinitely worse. We were heading back to our van and Sonia had just stepped out of an alleyway when she totally rammed into someone spilling the contents of her purse all over the ground. I let out a curse before kneeling down to grab a rolling hand-mirror.

"Omigosh! I am so-" Sonia's voice suddenly cut off. I looked up and was just as startled as she was; The knucklehead was back.

Knuckles was holding Sonia's purse, his face etched with shock. Sonia looked like she wanted to melt into the ground, her face turning bright red. She forced a smile, "Well… this is… familiar."

"Yeah…" Knuckles rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, handing the purse back and refusing to make eye contact.

Rouge swooped in out of nowhere and pulled the echidna back into her firm grip. "Are you alright, hon? Nothing broken?" she said in a mock-compassionate tone, her voice dripping with subtle disdain. Sonia clenched her teeth and forced a pained smile; I could feel the hatred between these two.

Instinctively, I turned away- I had been avoiding Rouge all month for a reason. I was still working on the whole organ thing, but was nowhere close to finishing what I had in store. I knew what she was capable of, and how she reacted to broken promises. Instead, I directed my attention to the other two idiots from her apartment who were right behind her.

"Hey Knuckles, we'd better get back to…" started the small fox, glancing at me and Sonia with confusion. "Who are… wait a minute, you're those people who-"

"Yes, yes we are," said Sonia quickly, gathering everything back into her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. "This seems like a good time to, um… get going. Matthews- let's _get out of here._ "

"Gotcha."

We hurriedly began to walk in the opposite direction when Knuckles called out after us.

"Sofia, wait! Don't… um…"

Sonia turned around; this was all going according to her plan. Beneath that casual expression was a being of pure evil, I swear. "Yeah?" she said sweetly.

"U-um…" Knuckles stammered, his face now resembling a tomato. Rouge glared at him with such ferocity I would've thought he'd back down, but all he did was shake her off his arm. "You, uh, wanted to ask me that, um… Guardian question…?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," she replied, smiling. "I don't want to trouble you."

"No! It's, um… it's fine! No trouble. None."

"Really, it wasn't important-"

"Seriously! It's okay! You can ask me anything!"

Sonia raised an eyebrow and I heard a low growl from Rouge. Knuckles gulped nervously. "I mean… We are friends, right?"

I almost fell on the ground laughing. Sonia must have been having a field day as Knuckles practically handed her the friend-zone conversation on a silver platter.

She gave another sweet smile, "If that's what you'd like, then yes. We can be friends."

In the background, pink hedgehog facepalmed. She looked up and without meaning to we made eye-contact. Her expression and message was clear, ' _Are they chaos friggin' serious?'_

I shrugged in response, before my mental reading kicked into full gear.

Alright, pink hedgehog on Team Sonic, which would make her the hammer swinging girl in red. Something with an "A"... Ash… Annie… Amy! Amy Daisy. Something with a flower, I think. Seemed pretty sweet and was a total romantic- and was internally screaming while the two hotheads argued. Had some issues with her parents and has a huge crush on Sonic the Hedgehog, which she was in total denial about.

Suddenly, a spike of pain in my right hand cut off my focus. I inhaled sharply, but shook it off; I had put some burn cream on my hand this morning. It was probably still healing from the gem that burned me a while back. Chaos, I wish we had never grabbed that thing.

"-I'm just saying that I was a little, um… rude to you when we last saw each other and I'd like to try and make up for it."

Sonia put on a thoughtful expression. "You were rude? I don't remember. But honestly, it's fine, Knuckles. As your _friend_ , I don't want to trouble you with my problems." Was it just me, or did "friend" sound a little louder than everything else?

My eyes flicked over to the yellow fox, who looked more than a little annoyed that they were being held up. They were all Team Sonic members, so… this must be that kid, Tails. Sonic's… sidekick? Brother? Protege? My instincts told me it was a weird combination of all three. Really smart, but also really sarcastic. Crazy daddy issues. Good with machines.

I avoided eye contact with Rouge and slowly circled around Sonia and Knuckles, who were still chatting awkwardly, stopping by the other two. "Uh…" I started, shoving my hands in my pockets. "Sorry about... this."

Amy smiled, "It's fine. Matthews, was it?"

"My friends call me Matt." I shook her hand, my finger brushing up against her ring. Even with just a second of contact, my readings went off like an alarm and I pulled away a little too hard from the surprise, almost dropping my Extreme Gear. Amy frowned slightly, "Are you alright?"

"I- Um… Yeah, I'm fine." Mentally, I began to curse in every language I could think of, real or made-up. This chick had a voice in her head. Okay, not a voice exactly, more like another person…? If that makes sense…? It didn't feel like it was _evil_ or anything, but _still!_ How do you react to that?

I blinked and forced a smile, "Nice to meet the both of you- I mean, you both- I mean!" I grabbed the fox's hand rather quickly, pumping it hard, "You two! Both of you! "

Tails winced and yanked away, "Chaos, that's a grip!" he muttered.

"Oh. Sorry, Miles."

He froze, eying me suspiciously. "How did you know my name is Miles?"

"Uh…" Crap. "You said, didn't you?"

"No."

"Really? I could have sworn you did." Stupid, stupid, _stupid..._

Miles (or Tails? Who cares, same person) shook his head slowly, "No, I really didn't." A thought came to him; he raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, "How in the world did you know my… Are you with GUN?"

"What? No!" I put up my hands in a helpless gesture. Dang it, I really screwed up this time. "I just… um… read it somewhere. You're Miles… or Tails, whatever, and you're Amy Rin. Rose! Amy Rose!"

Amy's face drained of color for a second, her hand flying to her right wrist, instinctively shielding the bracelet. "Um… yeah! Amy _Rose…_ That's me."

"Yep!" And that was my cue to leave. I whirled around and grabbed Sonia's arm, "Uh, sis? Can we go now?"

She looked at me a bit confused, "I was just about to ask Knuckles about the-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but I, uh, I just remembered! We have an appointment with… um… a doctor! _Remember?_ " I said nervously, gritting my teeth at the last word. Sonia's expression grew very confused. "You can call him about it later or something. We're going to be late for the doctor!"

She only looked more perplexed. Turning to the group, she flashed an apologetic smile and pulled me aside.

"Man- _Matthews,_ what are you playing at?" she hissed, gritting her teeth. "You _know_ I need to talk to Knuckles! This Guardian info could be our key to finding Maurice!"

"I know, I know!" I replied, feeling flustered. "But these people are _nuts!_ "

"Come again?"

"I just read pinky and the kid. Both of them are friends with this Sonic dude and think I'm crazy or something because I might've let a few things slip-"

" _What?"_

"Nothing about Maurice," I said quickly. "Just some of their… personal details. Oh, and I'm ninety-nine percent sure that pinky has some sort of voice in her head."

Sonia froze. "What, is she a schizophrenic or something?"

"I dunno! I panicked and lost concentration. But _whatever_ is going on with these weirdos is beyond me, and we need to hit the road, ASAP!"

" _After_ I talk to Knuckles!"

I glared at her and she glared right back. We kept up the staring contest for almost a minute until I blinked.

"Ha! I win! We stay," Sonia said, grinning triumphantly. Jerk.

I crossed my arms, scowling. "Fine. But make it quick. I don't like how they're looking at us."

Sonia turned back to the group and was promptly shocked at the expressions I had been noticing for the last five minutes; confusion, restlessness, and worst of all: curiousity. The pink one seemed especially interested in our conversation. Snoop.

"Sorry about that," said Sonia in a sing-song voice. "Matthews was just worried about us being late to the… _doctor_ , but we'll be okay. You were saying, Knuckles?"

He was about to open his mouth to speak when something passed overhead, enveloping the city in a dark shade. Everyone looked up; soaring above us was a gargantuan spaceship-like thing, small metal objects being dropped from its cargo.

The kid- Tails, was it?- grimaced angrily, clenching his fists; clearly, he was not in the mood for this.

"REALLY? _REALLY?_ " he shouted at the spaceship. "You choose _NOW_ to attack? YOU COULDN'T HAVE AT LEAST WAITED 'TIL WE FOUND SONIC? _COWARD!_ "

"Tails, calm down-"

"I will _not_ calm down!" he snarled. "We're supposed to looking for Sonic, and Robotnik goes and interrupts everything! Fine! FINE! WE'LL PLAY YOUR GAME!" he yelled up at the ship, sounding slightly unhinged. "AND WE'LL _WIN_ , JUST LIKE WE ALWAYS DO! SONIC OR NO SONIC!"

Knuckles sighed, looking frustrated. At least he wasn't shouting, like certain other people.

"Okay, we're gonna have to detour and help out before GUN shows up, just to make sure no one gets hurt. Sofi, you and your brother are going to have to go. Get yourselves someplace safe. I'll call you when this is all over."

"I'm sorry, what?" Sonia asked skeptically.

Knuckles groaned, "Look, I don't have time to explain in detail. Just trust me. You do _not_ want to be here when _he_ gets down here."

"When who gets down here?"

"Someone who needs to be taught a lesson. Get going." Knuckles made a shooing gesture at us before turning back to his friends. The four took off down the street like this was the most normal thing in the world, leaving me and Sonia on the sidewalk.

Oh, and remember those metal things that the spaceship had been dropping?

As it turns out, they were robots out for blood. Specifically the blood of innocent civilians.

All of this was so funny, I forgot to laugh.


	43. Robotnik's Return

**WE'RE BAAAAACKKKKK!**

' _ **Bout time.**_

 **AFTER AN ENTIRE SUMMER (okay, plus a month. Sorry 'bout that). Ugh! Do you know how hard it is to NOT type AN ENTIRE SUMMER.**

 **SERIOUSLY, I ALMOST WENT INSANE. On the bright side, I got to step back and do other hobbies. Halloween Costume sewn and done! Yay!**

 **And of course Halo is wonderful at character development and loves coming up with wonderful scenes-**

 **-but when it comes to actually TYPING… Let's just say "Guess who types 95% of the story?" (minus Manic's chapters. That is ALL her.)** _ **Darn straight.**_ **So we literally had to type this entire chapter, AFTER school started. And that was a little difficult to finish because we only had… maybe a page? Hence the extra month (again, we're sorry about that. It is a very, very, very, long chapter.)**

 **But we are back! Three Cheers! Celebrate with a bottle of Sparkling Water! Run out into the streets and yell, "ERA AND HALO ARE BACK!" over and over and over again until your throat is dry and scratchy.** _ **And the police come to talk to you about scaring the neighbors.**_

 **Okay, don't do that, but you get the picture. Review comments will be at the end because I am too excited to do all that at the moment.**

 **I have been waiting all summer to say this…**

 **ACTION!**

Knuckles's POV:

As we ran further into the swarm of robots, I glanced behind me to watch Sofi and her brother pause for a minute, then run off behind a building and out of sight. I knew she was smart enough to listen to me and get the heck out of here before she got hurt. To Robotnik, she'd be just another civilian, a moving target for him to maim- _No_ , shut up, don't think like that, _focus_.

I hated being the field leader. Strategy isn't exactly my thing. Usually, Sonic or Shadow take the lead, but with them missing, it was up to me for whatever reason. All I had to do was say the word and the rest of the team would follow me into the fray, no matter what we were up against.

Do I look like a hero to you? Sure, I've helped save the world a couple times, but do you really think I do it because I _want_ to? Uh, _heck_ no.

See, I happen to _like_ my island. And literally _every single time_ I let someone either on the island or off it, something bad happens. The Master Emerald is stolen, the Master Emerald is shattered, my father goes missing and never comes back. My ex-girlfriend passes out. I get duped over and over and over again into somehow losing the Master Emerald to Robotnik (in all honesty, though, that bit is mostly my fault). The only reason I even bother to help out Sonic and his team is because if I don't, I'll have a guilty conscience until I go fight off some robots or help save another city. If innocent people are dying because Team Sonic is understaffed, then I'll never have a good night's sleep again.

But there was no use overthinking it. Right now, it was time to smash some bots.

"Amy! Tails! Go for the left wave!" I shouted over the screams of panicked citizens and clanking of robots. "Try to make it to the ship and, um... take it out!" The two nodded and charged at the horde of robots, sending pieces of shrapnel flying in every direction.

"That leaves you and me, handsome," crooned Rouge, latching onto my arm and huddling up next to me. I did _not_ need this right now. Scowling, I shook her off roughly.

"Not now, Rouge. Head over to the right and start on the aerial wave. I'll take care of the bots on the ground."

Rouge pouted and narrowed her eyes, but didn't object. Flapping her wings, she took off, glaring at me from above. Like I cared. She'd been nothing but trouble since that one time I panicked in front of Sofia and made up that stupid lie about her being my girlfriend. All I wanted to do was make Sofi a little jealous! And I don't think that even worked, judging from how keen she is for us to be "friends" (I hate that word).

But Rouge just _will not_ leave me alone. Every opportunity she gets she tries to make out with me or get me alone or both. It was disgusting. And she _doesn't stop!_ _ **Ever!**_

I get it. It's pretty clear that she has a… what was it called… a crush for me? (Weird expression, but _okay._ ) And it's totally ridiculous! You save her life _one time_ and suddenly she won't leave you alone! (That is why she throws herself at me, right? I mean, what else is there besides that and getting closer to my emerald?)

I shook my head; I had to focus. _Focus._ No more wasting time thinking about things that didn't matter in the long run.

I curled my fists and began smashing through the horde of robots, dodging bits of debris along the way. Rouge was doing the same from the sky, taking out dozens of bots at a time and hardly breaking a sweat. She was annoying, but at least she knew how to do her job.

It was difficult to see how Tails and Amy were doing on their side of the battlefield, but knowing them, they had it covered. I was more worried that Tails would try to go after Robotnik himself; since Sonic disappeared, he's been a little… unstable. I wouldn't put much past him at this point.

Amy had been similar, but not quite as bad. I personally thought she was holding the worst of it back for Tails sake. And she had been especially jumpy since Sofi had shown up.

And _Matt._ Matt is there too. It isn't just Sofia.

 _Ugh! Focus!_

"Hey, Red," Rouge fluttered down with a smirk, "Pretty clear in the air, thought you could use some help."

I gritted my teeth, but said nothing. I hate being in charge.

Sonia's POV:

Robots.

R, O, B, O, T, S.

Literally the worst thing ever known to man… according to me, at least.

But really, can you blame me? My parents were killed by them (as they were trying to kill me and my brothers), they were the cause of losing Maurice, my Uncle was obsessed with them because of his stupid junkyard, and now they were trying to kill me _again._

I didn't know about Manic, but he seemed to have similar feelings about the situation, seeing as every time we heard anything that sounded even remotely mechanical he would yank me into an alleyway, telling me to hold my breath until the coast was clear.

People, both Mobians and Humans alike, were screaming and running for cover, whether it be inside a building or even just underneath a cardboard box. GUN trucks were pulling up every other minute with dozens of soldiers hopping out with guns and grenades, blasting away waves of robots. We avoided the scenes and stuck to the alleys. No offense to GUN, but I trusted Manic's street smarts and my instincts a _smidge_ more than their, ah, "protection".

Then again, maybe we should have stuck around.

"Manic, this is the _fifth_ dead end we've hit!" I hissed as we faced yet another brick wall. "Are you _sure_ you know where we are?"

He rolled his eyes and pulled me in the opposite direction, "Sonia, trust me. I know this city like the back of my hand."

"You wear gloves."

"Shut up, you know what I mean," Manic rubbed his right hand, laughing a little nervously.

 _Great._

When Manic finally got his bearings, we headed towards what he claimed was downtown. "I know some old safe houses that the Strikers haven't used in years. We can hide out there till this all blows over."

I grimaced at the thought of Manic associating with his old gang, but desperate times called for desperate measures. We turned a corner and were waiting till the horde of robots thinned out a bit before we ran when I heard someone scream.

It wasn't a normal scream. It was high and shrill, almost like… a child's.

I didn't really think about it. It made sense that kids would be scared of a swarm of killer robots, screams were to be expected; in hindsight, I really shouldn't have spent too much time dwelling on it. But... maybe it was all the robots around bringing back old memories. Or maybe I just have a soft spot for little kids. But I couldn't seem to stop myself from turning around and following the sound of screams.

" _What are you doing?_ " Manic demanded, grabbing at my wrist and trying to pull me back in the other direction. I shook him off and sprinted in the opposite direction. Manic was clearly not pleased as I ran away, shouting something about me having a death wish. I ignored him.

Another scream and I picked up the pace.

The scene I found was… unexpected. There is really no other way of describing it.

A small rabbit, who looked to be about 10 in a cute orange dress with a light blue tie, was holding the handlebars of a bike and whacking a robot senseless. The bot in question was covered in dents and looked too confused (can they be confused?) to respond to the tiny rabbit.

Meanwhile, a guy was sitting off to the side on the ground yelling something about her ruining his bike, as he waved a broken pedal in the air.

And the child was screaming… but it was not a cry for help. "YOU BIG, STUPID MEANIE! GIVE ME BACK CHEESE THIS INSTANT! IF YOU HURT HIM, I WILL _DESTROY YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU LOVE,_ YOU-"

I will not repeat the threat, but it was terrifying enough to make me hesitate in stepping in. Manic, however, had just arrived and was staring with a mix of awe and interest. He began to clap quietly, and I had to stop myself from joining him.

I pulled out my gun, took aim, and fired a bullet straight through the robot's mainframe. It shorted out immediately and dropped to the ground, dead- or at least as dead as a robot could be. It wasn't moving, anyway.

Manic leaped ten feet in the air and practically screamed, " _Geez,_ Sonia, _warn me when you do that_!"

The tiny rabbit threw the handlebars back at the guy, hitting him in the stomach and not caring at all. She ran over to the pile of metal rubble and began digging through it furiously; a small cry was coming from the lifeless hand and she pried it open, snatching a tiny blue blob of- _wait, was that a Chao?_

"Cheese! Are you alright?" cried the little rabbit frantically. "Cheese! _Cheese!_ "

"Chao! _Chao,_ _**chao**_ , **chao**!"

The tiny girl smiled and hugged the Chao, apparently named Cheese, tightly. "It's alright. I have you, now. Did that big meanie hurt you? Are your wings okay? How many fingers am I holding up?" Cheese responded back to every question with short "chao's", eventually squirming out of his "momma's" grasp.

Manic scratched his head, slightly confused. "Do you understand a word that thing in her hand is saying?"

I shrugged, "No. But _she_ obviously does."

After the rabbit checked her pet over, her attention turned towards me and Manic. In one of the sweetest and most polite voice she said, "Thank you for helping me get Cheese away from that mean robot." She gave a little curtsy and her Chao gave a bow. Manic raised an eyebrow and mumbled something about brainwashing children under his breath, but I ignored him.

I stepped forward and gave a small curtsy back, "My pleasure. I don't like robots much either."

"No one does," Manic rolled his eyes before joining me. "Where did you learn to beat up a giant metal bot with a bike handlebar?"

The rabbit gave a shy smile, "My friends have been training me to fight since big mean Robotnik tried to kidnap me."

All right, strange child rabbit who beat up robots and was kidnapped by evil men. I suppose it wasn't the strangest thing I had come across…

"I'm Sonia, this is my brother Manic. Do you need help getting to the safe zone?" I gave a small smile.

The small rabbit tilted her head at me ever so slightly, her eyes showing her hesitation.

Manic gave one of his grins, "Don't worry kid. We're in the same boat. Let's get out of this crazy place, alright?"

"I… I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." she said quietly.

"Well," I smiled, "We helped you get your pet. I think that makes us friends, right?"

The rabbit pursed her lips in thought before getting a large smile on her face, "Okay! I'm Cream and this is my Chao-friend, Cheese."

Before I could make a comment, my instincts tingled in warning. I grabbed Manic and shoved him towards Cream before diving forward. A large chunk of metal crashed where we had previously been standing.

Manic opened his mouth and growled, "Holy s-"

" _Language!_ " I grabbed Cream's arm and we began to run through the allies, again.

Manic got up and ran after us, uttering substitutes each step of the way as I called out commands.

"Left!"

" _FRIKKIN' ,THE FRACKIN' ,THE FRICK- CRUD MONKEYS!"_

"Duck!"

" _SNICKERDOODLE, DADGUMMED THE HE- MERLIN'S PANTS!"_

"Run!"

" _JIMINY CRICKETS- Sonia, I SWEAR TO CHAOS, I'm gonna kill you!"_ Manic sprinted as fast as he could as an especially large robot fell to the earth sparking and glitching right behind him.

Cream seemed rather calm about the whole situation, clutching Cheese tightly in her hands. At one point I grabbed her by the waist and flung her forward about three feet before back-flipping about five to avoid some random laser fire.. The rabbit gave out a squeak, but rolled into a somersault and came back into a full sprint, her Chao still safe in her arms.

Five minutes later, we finally reached the edge of the GUN barricade (or the edge of the war zone) without so much a scratch on any of us. Cream was panting slightly, but appeared fine. I shared a grin with her as Manic finally caught up, gasping for air.

"I… am out… out of practice… or... something…"

"Or you are just slow." I winked at him, a cheeky grin on my face. Manic stuck out his tongue at me, but didn't respond.

Cream laughed softly, her smile wide, "Miss Sonia, you are amazing! Could you teach me how to do that?"

"Sorry, Cream." I gently rubbed her head, "It doesn't work that way."

"Oh…" Cream frowned sadly, "Do you have superpowers like Mr. Shadow, too?"

My blood froze and I took a few steps back. "What do you mean?"

Manic actually choked on the name, "Sh-Shadow? You… know… Shadow? Like, 'Shadow the freakin' Hedgehog?'"

Cream smiled at the name, "Of course! He is my favorite babysitter!"

Manic's mouth dropped open and he physically fell on the ground because he was laughing so hard. I didn't see what was so funny, but was glad the subject had been changed. "Alright, Cream, where is-"

"Mother!" Suddenly, Cream gave another curtsy and Cheese, a bow. "Thank you for your help, Miss Sonia, Mister Manic." She turned around and sprinted into the crowd out of sight.

Manic recovered from his short bout of insanity and gave a salute. "See you around, kid."

I frowned and turned back to Manic, "Do you think we should take her home?"

"Nah," Manic gave a wave of his hand as if to say the situation was handled. "If she's babysat by Shadow then whoever looks at her the wrong way will die a painful death." He said it in such a matter-of-fact way I couldn't help but believe him.

My attention shifted from the rabbit and began to look around for a GUN agent. My priorities to ask about the Black Emerald were still high and if I wanted to see Knuckles after the battle then I would need to find him. And that required a little help from GUN.

I had just located a man who looked to be some high rank when Manic suddenly grabbed my arm and tried to yank me back.

Of course I sensed this before it happened so I just pulled back and looked back at him, a little annoyed, "What is wrong now…" My voice died in my throat.

Manic's eyes were wide and filled to the brim with fear. He yanked me back from the crowd and led me to a nearby park bench before pushing me down behind it. After he joined me on the ground, he stared at his hands.

They were shaking.

"Manic… what's wrong?"

"I… I'm not sure."

That made me frown, "Then why…?"

"I don't know. I just feel… like we're in danger."

My frown grew. "Manic, that's _my_ thing. Not yours."

"I know, I know!" He rubbed his hands together, eyes darting back and forth. "But… it's not a situation. It's a person."

"... A person."

"Yes!"

"Manic, you're not making any sense."

Manic closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. "All I know is that something- _someone-_ is nearby. And that someone is bad news. It's… it's hard to explain, but I feel like… like if we're found by them… we're _not_ gonna like it."

My mind was whirling, trying to make sense of any of this. Nothing clicked. Manic was either getting overwhelmed by the number of cops and GUN agents running around, or his brain was stressed. I was about to tell him so when my instincts kicked into high gear.

So instead of a lecture slipping out, I cursed.

Manic stared at me, his fear momentarily fading into shock. "Did you just say...?"

I sprung to my feet and screamed as loud as I could, " _ **EVERYONE, GET DOWN!"**_

Chaos must have been in a good mood that day, because any GUN agent in earshot repeated the order without question of who said it or why. Most civilians dropped to the ground with little hesitation and the wave seemed to spread. I didn't stay up to watch, however, instead ducking down under the bench and shoving Manic on his stomach face down.

Then the world exploded.

XXX

Manic's POV:

What did I do to deserve this?

Seriously. My day was actually going relatively okay before the robot attack, all things considered. It looked for a while that me and Sonia were actually getting somewhere with the Maurice manhunt- Sonia was _right in the middle_ of manipulating emerald boy into spilling some really valuable information when frikkin' _**robots from the sky**_ started knocking folks into next week. And that included me and Sonia.

But seriously, all sarcasm aside- who exactly is out to get me? If TV has told me anything, it's that having your city get invaded by hordes of metal terrorists is not your average weekday event. Just sayin'.

"Manic! Get up!" shouted Sonia, shaking me out of my stupor. I was lying face-down on the sidewalk, making no noise and pretending that I didn't exist. It was kinda nice.

"Go away, Sonia," I mumbled. "I welcome death with open arms."

Sonia cursed again and yanked me up, pushing me into a sprint. " _We don't have time for this!"_

For possibly the first time since the start of the invasion, I took a good look around me- not just for a path to safety, but at the people we'd have to go through to get there. There sure were a lot of them; urban crowds have never been the most courteous people, but when they were in _this_ state of panic? _Yeesh._ Good luck.

I couldn't even tell what street we were on anymore; if the robots hadn't destroyed any of the city's defining features, the crowds had. I grimaced in frustration- just how were me and Sonia supposed to find the safe house now?

I hopped onto my Extreme Gear board and grabbed Sonia's hand, pulling her onto it with me as we took to the skies. What I realized too late was that whoever had sent these robots had built ones that could fly too. And shoot lasers.

This was just getting ridiculous.

"Sonia, you mind?" I asked, irritated. She nodded, pulling out her gun and opening fire on the bots closest to us, clearing enough of a path so that we could at least see where we were going… for about two minutes.

At this point, I was ninety-nine percent sure that these thing's inventor, besides being clearly insane, must also be some kind of super genius, because these killing machines have got to have some unusually advanced AI to be able to figure out that me and Sonia were a threat, and then gang up on us. We were only able to fight them off for about ten minutes before getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of them.

"Manic, bring us down!" shouted Sonia over the din. "This is getting out of control!"

"Really? I hadn't noticed!"

"We'll get more leverage if we blend in! _Bring us down!_ "

I bashed in one last robot, then descended the board down in one fell swoop. Thankfully, the bots weren't able to follow us for long- kinda hard to focus on a target when it's just another body in the crowd.

We slipped through the screaming, panicked civilians and jumped over the ones that weren't moving anymore. I tried not to look at them for too long; just keep moving. It'll be easier to forget about it when this all blows over.

I ducked behind the remains of a fire escape and motioned for Sonia to do the same, neither of us even daring to breathe. We stood still for who knows how long, my chest beating so hard I thought I was gonna have a heart attack.

"O-okay…" I stuttered, trying to collect myself. Keep it together, man. You can handle this. Dying is not an option. "I'm still not sure how far the safe house is from here, but maybe if we break a window, we hide in someone's basement- Sonia, are you listening to me?"

Sonia was staring at an unusually large robot, wielding buzzsaws and ambling towards a corner. Her face was pale.

"What?" I asked. "Sonia, wassamatter?"

She didn't say a word, only pointing a shaking finger at who the robot was cornering; a young woman, clutching a baby and screaming for mercy. I couldn't make out what she was saying, but then again, I didn't really want to.

"Sonia, _focus!_ " I shouted, shaking off my brief flash of guilt. "Look, it's not like I don't feel sorry for these people, I swear I do, but _we can't help them right now!_ "

Her expression hardened, and immediately I knew what she was thinking of.

"Geez, sis, don't bring that up…" I groaned, burying my face in my hands.

"Manic, we couldn't do anything back then. _Nobody_ could do anything back then," she said coldly, beginning to stand up and reload her handgun.

"Sonia, no. We've got to think about ourselves right now- Where are you going? Sis!" I grabbed at her arm, but missed as usual. Sonia ran a few feet ahead before ducking behind a park bench for cover. I gritted my teeth and followed after her.

"Sonia, just for once, _listen_ to me! There's nothing we can do! We're just a bunch of seventeen-year-old idiots who are in _serious danger_ , and-"

"Manic!" Sonia turned and glared at me, her eyes sharp and cold, "Think for just two seconds about what's going on. We ran all those years ago, and look what happened! We lost our _home_ , our _parents_ , our _brother-_ "

"Maurice is still alive, remember?"

"But what if he wasn't?" she hissed. "We thought for years that he was dead in the ground." Sonia took my hand and smiled sadly, "Manic, I don't care what you think about that night, but there must be some memory, some person, _something_ you wanted to save and _couldn't_." she said, her brow furrowing and her voice cracking slightly. "You were in a _gang_ , for goodness sake! Didn't you know anyone that died? Didn't you feel sad, or… or guilty- did you even feel _anything?_ "

I froze. Yeah, people died in the gang. I'd lost friends. That was part of the job, and I rolled with it. But in my mind, I saw a red Echidna protecting me and that stupid emerald. Locke had saved my life at the cost of his.

Maybe it was time for me to pay that forward.

Sonia must have seen something in my expression that set her off. She gave a small nod and crouched down again. "I'll draw their fire. You start to disable them."

"Okay, and just how do you expect me to do that?"

"How should I know? You're the mechanic here!"

"Oh. Right."

I bit my lip, trying to keep from panicking as I looked at the all the bots crowding us, ready to strike at any time. I felt the sudden urge to run and hide like I used to.

Sonia nodded again before springing out into the battlefield. She shot straight for the mother and baby, shooting Chain-Saw Maniac through its interface. Without a word, she helped the woman to her feet and pushed her towards the now forming line of GUN defense.

I turned my attention to the robots. This would be a bloodbath.

 _Our hero grabbed his board and shot off into the laserfire, a sly grin slowly spreading across his face. He flicked out his trusty switchblade and readied himself for the fight of his life, only one thought crossing his adrenaline-pumped brain:_

" _Let's dance."_

Narrator's POV:

General Towers was cursing Robotnik to the worst afterlife possible when the two hedgehogs showed up. At first, all he saw was two grave-eager civilians putting themselves in the thick of the danger, albeit the young lady was an adequate shot.

The General's eyes widened as he watched the same exact girl dodge an entire wave of laser fire before leaping up on the arm of an especially large bot, somehow getting to the back and shooting a sweet spot that shut the robot down.

And then there was the dirty green kid. Towers watched in amazement as he leapt into the sky, riding an Extreme Gear board through a maze of fire and started popping open control panels with a knife and yanking out wires, zooming off as the lifeless machines clattered to the ground.

A thought entered his mind.

"Lieutenant Martin…" General Towers turned to the ginger-haired man who was ducking behind a shield, "I was not informed that Team Sonic took on some new recruits."

Martin tilted his head in confusion as he tried to recall any reports or updates that would have mentioned such a thing, but couldn't remember anything of the sort. "Neither was I, sir," he replied. "I don't think we received any paperwork on the matter."

Towers rolled his eyes; Team Sonic had never been the most diligent when it came to official protocol. But that wasn't important at the moment; He needed to focus on the disaster at hand, and the new recruits seemed to be handling their end of the situation well enough. It was obvious that they were new to the game- the green one had no form whatsoever, and the girl never really moved from her position unless she had to. But they definitely had potential, and at the moment, Towers would take what he could get.

He grabbed a radio, about to call the rest of the Mobian teams for back up and order an evacuation for the area when a particularly large SWATbot landed directly in front of him. General Towers grabbed his gun and began to fire it as Lieutenant Martin ordered all men to follow the General's lead.

Robotnik must have upgraded the armor's durability, because the bot didn't even seem fazed. Its arm panels opened up to allow twin guns to pop out, the bot taking aim. General Towers growled and grabbed Martin by the arm, shoving him behind a barricade as the bullets began to fly.

Martin glanced at Towers, cocking his gun, "What should we do, sir?"

"Help with the evacuation. We need to get all civilians out of here and to safety!"

"Yes, sir!" Martin pulled out his radio to relay the order as General Towers glanced around the corner at the still shooting SWATbot. Robots were mindless, but the man who drove them wasn't.

Towers almost wished Agent Shadow would suddenly appear out of thin air and tear the thing apart, but the General had not been in contact with him since Sonic vanished. He silently cursed both hedgehogs for running off before standing up and letting off a few shots. The robot, detecting an attack, turned towards him and lifted its blaster to fire.

Something grabbed him and practically threw him around the barrier and behind another one. Towers hit the ground, too confused to respond as the pink hedgehog glared at him, pulled out her gun and let out a single bullet. It struck the bot straight in the forehead, and another three bullets brought it down all the way.

The swatbot fizzed and sparked before dropping useless to the ground. Pink glared at the General and practically hissed, "Stay here! It's _dangerous_ out here, can't you see that?"

Before he could respond, she sprinted back into the danger zone.

Towers desperately needed to talk to Sonic, or Knuckles or… or whoever was in charge right now- about informing him their recruits' actions. Just who did they think they were? Did they even know he was?

Towers pulled out his communicator, dialing Agent Rouge. With Agent Shadow gone and Sonic unavailable, it seemed logical that she'd be next in command. The sound of static faded away into unintelligible screams and crashes from the other end of the city.

" _What's up, General? Something_ _ **important**_ _, I hope?"_ There was a certain hardness in her voice- tempers were obviously running high at the moment.

"Give me a report on your situation, Agent." Towers ordered.

" _Little busy here, can I get back to you lat-"_

"Report!"

" _Sheesh, touchy. Fine. Teams Dark (me) and Sonic are engaged in combat with Eggman's forces. They seem to be thinning out, though, so there's a plus."_

The barest hint of a smile tugged at Towers' lips. A nearby explosion quickly wiped off any trace of it. "The _minute_ your teams secure the area," he barked, "We need all hands on deck in the East Side's secondary business district, have I made myself clear?

" _Sorry, 'teams'?"_

"Yes! Team Dark and Team Sonic! You are the senior agent at the moment, are you not?"

" _Uh… yeah, let's go with that. We'll be there in a jiff, General."_

Rouge's end of the radio cut off, nothing but static filing the General's ears. He switched off his communicator and turned to Martin. "Lieutenant, get moving!"

"Yes sir!"

Towers made a comment to absolutely no one about the adequacy of his men. This was not a good day…

Sonia's POV:

I learned something that day. One: Bullets do not do a lot of damage on a metal robot. Two: They run out. Very fast. We still had a small army of robots when I ran out of bullets. So I found an abandoned assault rifle and used it until it ran out- then the process started all over again.

I never realized how many guns there were in the world. You had your basic handgun (which was my personal favorite), long guns, and machine guns. Then under all of those categories there are dozens of types and models such as, muskets, rifles, shotguns, pistol, revolver, etc.

That night, I fired for the first time a machine gun, shotgun, and sniping rifle. Let me just say, machine guns? Not as fun as they look in the movies.

Of course, Manic got ticked off every time I showed up with a new firearm, yelling something that I couldn't quite hear over the battlefield noises. I chose to ignore him and continued onward.

We had finished off most of the robots when this giant metal dog fell from the sky. It was probably about ten feet long and ten feet high, with glowing red eyes. And Manic didn't seem to like it one bit, based off the especially colorful swear words he was stringing together when he pulled up next to me. "What the _kriff_ are we supposed to do with _that?_ "

I hopped up on the board and grabbed his shoulders, "Get me on top, I'll see if I can find a weak point."

"And what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know! Distract it! Annoy it! Do whatever it takes!"

A wide grin spread slowly over Manic's face, and a shiver ran down my spine.

"I take that back," I said quickly. "Do whatever it takes, _within reason._ "

"You ruin everything."

"We'll discuss this later! Now hurry up and _destroy it!_ "

"Okay, geez, keep your shirt on."

As soon as Manic flew us up above the bot, I leapt off the board, landing on both feet and ignoring the stinging pain in my ankles. I had to hold on for dear life as the robot dog attempted to blast Manic out of the sky with flamethrowers; We were moving around so much that I started to think the stars were spinning.

Shaking that thought out of my head, I managed to get to the main control panel and shot through the screws (well I didn't exactly have a wrench or pry-bar…) and threw it off to the side. Inside was five wires: blue, white, black, red, and another black. Manic was the mechanic, true, but I didn't need mechanical skills to see how to shut this bad boy down. Spider-man had his "spidey-sense", I had my "instincts". Blue was the winner and a few tugs snapped it right out. The robot blinked and I heard a very loud, very annoying siren start to blare.

Okay… so maybe I shouldn't have pulled the self-destruct button. But it was either that or the electrical system and if I pulled that out then I probably would have died from the voltage.

I hurried down the back of the now "panicking" doggy, running, rolling and flipping when necessary. When I got to the tail I jumped up as high as I could and found myself landing on Manic's board perfectly. He grinned, "Thank you for flying Maniac Airlines, we hope you enjoy the ride! Would you like a complimentary bag of peanuts?"

I blinked a few times before shaking my head, "I think I'm good."

Manic went to say something, but was interrupted by the giant explosion and shockwave that knocked us to the ground.

My ears were ringing and the dust made it difficult to see and breath, but I could have sworn I heard someone yelling my name. And by my name I mean "Sofi!"

Someone grabbed me by the shoulders and started shaking me. I groaned and moaned something about my head hurting and the shaking got worse.

"HOLY CHAOS! AMY, GET OVER HERE, SHE NEEDS A MEDIC!"

My eyes finally came open and I stared at a very, very concerned Knuckles. Over to my right, Manic was laying on the ground, hands under his head and staring at the sky mumbling under his breath, "No really, I'm fine too. Your concern is really touching."

Rouge stood off on the side glaring, "Oh, man up you big baby."

Manic stared in shock. "You spoke to me!"

"Yeah…" she turned her attention away to Knuckles, "Sweetie pie!" I winced slightly.

"Are you alright? Did that mean robot hurt you?" she crooned, latching onto Knuckle's arm and shooting a look of contempt my way

Knuckles gave her a death glare and turned attention to me, "How many fingers am I holding up?" He held up his hand and I frowned.

"Knuckles… your gloves don't have fingers."

"Oh…" he looked at the mit and frowned, "Right. ...How many gloves am I holding up?"

"One, and really, I'm fine. Please let me go." I pushed him away, even though I was kinda liking the attention. "Matt, are you okay?"

Manic rolled his eyes and got to his feet, "Oh, I'm fine. Dancing on rainbows! Sunshine and lollipops, etcetera! I am one with the unicorns and now reign as their King!"

I rolled my eyes, "Matt, cut the sarcasm for two seconds."

"My head hurts. Really bad."

"Great, so you'll live," I turned my attention to the smoking pile of rubble we just demolished. "Giant robot dog… not so much."

The small yellow fox from before raised a timid hand, "Yeah, while we're on that subject… I knew it! You work for GUN! Are you undercover?"

Manic and I exchanged a look. "No," I said

"Yes!" Manic grinned. I shook my head. Why me?

The fox tilted his head, "Which is it?"

"We are _not_ agents." I rolled my eyes. "My brother just wishes he was." So he could work with a certain someone, no doubt.

Knuckles frowned, "Then how in Chaos did you do," he pointed at the still smoking pile of metal, " _that_?"

"Uh…" I gave a sheepish smile. "Well, um, you see… the thing is-"

Suddenly, a giant robot mech dropped from the sky.

A really high shriek of, "Oh, come on!" was heard from a very annoyed Manic and I had to agree with him. I was about to pull out my gun when the top popped open and revealed an overweight man with a red mustache laughing like a maniac.

In front of me, Knuckles, Rouge, and the other two (I felt kinda bad for not knowing or caring what their names were) tensed and dropped into fighting positions.

The robot man finished laughing and began to speak, "Ah, Team Sonic. Or should I call you Team _minus_ Sonic? I see you have yet again held off my-"

"OH-KAY! THAT'S IT! I'M DONE! _MOVE_ , KID!" Manic stomped forward, picked up the fox and moved him to the side, a furious expression on his face; I had never seen him that angry before. He hopped on his board and flew up to the madman, getting right up in his face. He jabbed his finger at the stranger and began to rant. "Alright, _fat man,_ I've got a bone to pick with you!"

The man looked very confused. "I'm sorry, wha-?"

"Uh-uh-uh, I'm _talking!"_ he interrupted, his eyes wild. "Are you the douchebag psychopath who built these rust buckets?"

"As a matter of fact, I _am_ -"

"All I needed to know," Manic hissed through his teeth. "Y'know something, chubs? I had _very_ low expectations for today. All that was on my to-do list was to find my stupid brother and maybe eat a corndog. And y'know why I didn't get to do that today?" He went on without even waiting for the man to open his mouth to answer.

" _Because_ _ **SOMEONE**_ _decided to leave his toys lying around the city!"_

Knuckles's jaw dropped; looking around at the others, I could see that he wasn't alone: The yellow fox's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and Rouge had to cover her mouth to muffle her growing amusement. Clearly, Knuckles's team and the strange man Manic was yelling at knew each other. It was weird seeing my usually easygoing, if overly excitable brother chew out at a perfect stranger, who looked just as confused as the rest of us.

"... And _another thing!_ " Manic continued, his face bright pink and his knuckles clenched. "What's up with the whole ridiculously huge robot dog thing? Are you really such a _massive nerd_ that you _actually_ took time out of your day to build that? Just so that you could make these idiots tear it apart?" He pointed down at the team, who looked rather put off by that last remark. "But _no!_ You failed! _They_ didn't destroy it! _I_ did! Me and my sister! And we had _no idea_ what we were doing! If you're gonna waste your life building dumb-looking dog bots, _at least_ do us the courtesy of building them right! Maybe then you could patent them and y'know, _not_ have to attack cities to get a paycheck! Or is this just a _hobby?_ "

I facepalmed. It was better just to let him get it out of his system now to keep him from doing anything _really_ stupid later. Then again he might be doing something stupid right now, based on everyone else's expressions.

"But that's beside the point!" Manic shouted. "I've done a lot of weird stuff in my life, but fighting off an army of evil scrap metal _takes the cake._ You are one _seriously messed up_ dude, and you are going to _pay_ for putting me through the ringer like this! You're _HISTOR-eeeee…_ " Manic's voice trailed off; he stared at the man as if seeing him for the first time, the color steadily draining from his face.

"Or…" he started, slowly backing away. "You _would_ be, if I didn't take all that back! Now, um, if you'll excuse me, I… uh… have to go get that corn dog I was talking about! Yeah! Um… see ya!" he zoomed down to me and grabbed my arm.

"Sonia, we have to get out of here _right now._ " he hissed through gritted teeth. Droplets of sweat were forming on his forehead; he had gone totally pale.

"Um…" I looked back at the man who still had a very puzzled expression on his face, "Manic, what are you doing? You literally just exploded at some random guy, and now you want to run away?"

"That's what we're good at!" Manic got really close to my face and lowered his voice. "Look, do you remember the night our parents died?"

My blood froze, "Manic, we are not bringing-"

"What kind of robots attacked us? What did they look like?"

"Manic, now is not the time to-"

"Bees. Sonia, they looked like bees."

"What in the world does that have to do with-"

Manic probably would have continued along but the stranger suddenly spoke a single word. You wouldn't think it would freeze me in place.

" _Julian…"_

My eyes flew up to the man, wide and suddenly terrified. Manic whirled around, instinctively putting a protective arm out in front of me even though he was shaking so hard I thought he was gonna fall over.

The man tilted his head and frowned slightly, "You are Julian's children… but I thought…" He shook his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts.

My mind suddenly clicked the gears together. This guy was… _Holy Chaos._

 _Note to Self:_ Stop attracting attention. It can result in you meeting people who are hazardous to your health.

I grabbed Manic's arm and squeezed it tightly to get his attention. He must have noticed the fear in my eyes or was just reading my emotions, because his face paled even more.

"I killed you…" the murderer seemed puzzled by the fact, frowning and tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I killed you," he pointed at Manic, "And you," pointing at me. "Along with your uncle, your father, your mother… and your brother." The last one seemed like an afterthought, more than a statement.

Manic glared fiercely back at him, although his hands were still trembling. "We know he's alive, thank you very much, mister 'I kill innocent people just for kicks and giggles'."

He chuckled maliciously at this. "Oh, my, my, my, my, my… You mobians never do know when to quit. Where are my manners?" The stranger nodded his head curtly, "I'm Doctor Robotnik, future ruler of this world. And you-" his eyes flashed with anger, "have no place in it."

I felt something in me snap; Manic grabbed my arm just in time to prevent me from ending that sick monster. "Sonia, don't even think about it!" he said, digging his heels in but still being dragged forward

"Get your hands off of me, Manic! Don't you _dare_ try to keep me from-"

"Sonia, stop!" he shouted, struggling to hold me back. I kicked him in the shin, but he still held on.

" _Let-!"_

" **No!"**

" _ **Me-!"**_

" **SIS!"**

" _ **GO!"**_

"Sonia! SNAP OUT OF IT!" Manic whirled me around and slapped me across the face. The impact startled me; slowly, I brought a hand up to where Manic had struck my cheek. It stung, but at least the pain had replaced the burning rage. He looked me right in the eye. "You are _not_ giving him an excuse to do you in, too," he said quietly. I felt a pang of guilt in the pit of my stomach, and gave a little nod.

"I- I'm sorry, it's just-"

"I know."

Robotnik, the little murderer, seemed amused by the interaction, chuckling softly.

Of course, the fox had to snap the three of us back to the situation. "Wait, you know each other?"

Robotnik let out a cruel, mirthless laugh. "Oh, yes. Although not long. The first and last time I saw them, they were locking themselves in a cabin… right before I burned it down."

I growled and tried to escape Manic's grasp again, but his grip was too tight. "You killed our parents!" I screamed, angry tears streaming down my cheeks.

He shrugged, "Not my fault your father played the hero one too many times and tried to stop me from taking control of a village or two. After he was gone, it became so much easier to clear out your kind and build my factories. It became tiresome… so my sights looked north, to the _real_ challenge." He scowled, "Of course, you all showed up to slow me down…" Robotnik turned his gaze back to me and Manic. "Are you going to play hero too? Or should I dispose of you, like your parents? I haven't burned anyone alive in years…"

I felt Manic's grip on me release, and watched Knuckles try to hold him back as Manic starting screaming the worst swears I had ever heard from him before. Team Sonic didn't seem to notice this, or even care; they were still too disgusted and shocked by Robotnik's confession of exactly how our parents died.

Knuckles motioned for me to take hold onto my brother before ordering an attack on Robotnik. The fox pulled out a screwdriver and- _wait, was he flying?_

The team rushed the mech suit and began doing as much damage as possible, Robotnik happily returning the favor. Even with the entire team fighting as hard as they could, he could easily keep up, his robot's attacks beating them off to a standstill. Clearly, Robotnik spent a little more time on this one when he built it.

I couldn't take my mind off of it; That was the same guy who murdered our parents. The guy who's been literally haunting my nightmares for the past eleven years. A small part of me wanted to run away, to get out of here before he could hurt me or Manic ever again. A bigger part wanted to _destroy him_ so that he could never hurt _anyone_ ever again.

I had an idea.

"Manic," I said.

"What?"

"I'm going to throw you."

"... _What?"_

"Just trust me, okay?"

Manic stared at me for a few long moments, and I felt the familiar yet still uncomfortable sensation of my mind being invaded. His eyes widened.

"And just what makes you think that I'm even _capable_ of doing that?" he asked skeptically.

"Just believe in yourself or something. You can do it."

"You don't sound convinced."

I didn't answer, but simply picked up and Manic and held him over my head, trying to aim while ignoring his protests. The robot ambled into my line of sight; its back was turned towards me. Perfect.

I hurled Manic into the air, sending him flying headfirst onto the bot's shoulders. Thankfully, he didn't fall off, but even from twenty feet away I could tell he was scared out of his wits.

Praying that he could get his act together, I pulled out my handgun and took careful aim at the surrounding bee-robots. I. Hate. These. Stupid. Bugs.

I didn't have to wait too long for Manic to do his thing, because he suddenly showed up and grabbed me from behind, pushing me to the ground.

For the second time today, an explosion rocked the ground beneath my feet and my ears rang for several minutes. When the dust cleared the robot, along with all of it's little friends, was just a heap of flaming metal. Robotnik was gone without a trace and I felt my blood boil at that thought, but quickly pushed it aside.

Team Sonic pulled themselves out of the rubble before slowly approaching Manic and me. I gave a sheepish smile, "Uh… sorry?"

Knuckles pinched his nose. "I think we need to talk." He paused and squinted his eyes at Manic, who began to back away.

"First question: is that my board?"

XXX

Tails' workshop was quite comfy, albeit covered in spare parts and tools. The fox was running around trying to tidy up a little more, mumbling apologies under his breath. He claimed, however, the shop was neater than the house. I was a little afraid of what his house might look like.

Manic was playing with a few pieces of wire, trying to make a helicopter or something. Knuckles and Rouge were having a hushed argument in the corner leaving me with Amy Rose, the pink hedgehog.

"So…" Amy rubbed the back of her neck, "How did you break up with Knuckles?"

Wow. Just… wow. Let's start on this subject, shall we? I glared at her with slightly narrowed eyes, "I don't see how that is any of your business."

"Well, he _is_ my friend…" said Amy, casually twirling her hair, "And I saw him after the break-up and he looked awful. He _cried_. Knuckles doesn't cry, like, _ever_. He just punches stuff."

I rubbed my forehead; I did _not_ need this today. "Look, I didn't want to break up, okay?"

"Well, then why did you?"

First impression of Amy Rose- very intrusive.

Thank Chaos Knuckles finally finished with Rouge (who did not look happy at all, by the way) and made his way back over. He crossed his arms and stared at me. "Alright, I'm only gonna say this once: Talk."

"Um…" I stuttered, looking anywhere but at him. "About what?"

"Let's start with how you two are somehow capable of fighting off _huge killer robots_?

I ran through my options. Option one: Lie. Lie through your teeth, fake a smile, and lie like there was no tomorrow. Option two: Make excuses and try and get out of this situation without exposing ourselves as utter freaks, but manipulate Knuckles to tell me what I want to know. In other words, partially lie. Option three: tell the truth and possibly be arrested and/ or sent to the looney bin.

Call it a hunch, but I think I've been spending too much time with Manic if two out of three options involved lying. And so far, lying had made this situation so much worse than it should have been. Time to spill.

"Okay…" I started slowly. "It's probably better that we start at the beginning… first of all, my name isn't Sofia." Manic stared at me like I was crazy, but I kept going. "It's Sonia. Sonia Aleena Hedgehog."

Knuckles didn't move an inch.

"That," I pointed at my brother, "is Manic Charles Hedgehog," Manic winced at the name. "When we were six years old, Robotnik attacked our home, killing our parents and separating us from our brother, who we thought was dead until about a year ago when Tikal told me otherwise." Knuckles raised an eyebrow.

I smoothed down my skirt nervously, "Manic and I have been traveling in and out of the country the entire time trying to find our brother."

"Have you?" he asked skeptically.

"Um… no. There's been a lot of… let's say, _complications_. We've done a lot of weird and crazy and illegal stuff, and, uh... we actually ended up in prison once. We almost died trying to escape, actually, so yeah… that happened."

This time, it was Rouge's turn to raise an eyebrow.

Now came the really weird part, "And, um… How do I even put this?… I'm a psychic."

Across the room, Tails rolled his eyes. "Nice try. There's no such thing."

"Well, okay, I'm not an _actual_ psychic but…" I trailed off slightly. Chaos, this was getting awkward. "I have these… powers that let me see glimpses of the past, present, or future. Sometimes all at once. And I have this weird… thing when I know what's gonna happen right before it does, which is why I can dodge bullets and lasers and stuff like that. And I can move a little faster than most people, and I think I have bursts of super-strength but I haven't really tested that much."

Knuckles didn't appear to believe me. He raised an eyebrow and glared, "Sofi- Sonia, if that _is_ your real name- do you seriously expect me to believe that?"

I shrugged, "Well… yes."

He shook his head, turning away in disgust. "And what can _you_ do?" Knuckles glared at Manic, "Breathe underwater? Read minds?"

Manic gave a nervous laugh. "Um… yeah, actually."

Another eyeroll from Tails, "Oh, pu- _leez_ -"

"Okay! That's it!" Manic dropped his wire and got this annoyed look on his face. "What is _wrong_ with you people? You've got a teammate who pulls a hammer out of thin air, a ten-year-old who _flies_ , and a hedgehog who can teleport and create magic spears of death! You people have _literally_ seen aliens falling from the sky, and _you can't believe_ that we have superpowers?"

" 'Superpowers' is stretching a little far..." I said tentatively, but Manic wasn't having any of it. He ignored my comment and continued his rant.

"No. Nuh uh. These are _superpowers,_ sis. They're not 'talents'. They're not freaky sideshow attractions. They are _superpowers_ , dang it! Accept it already!"

Tails tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Chaotic abilities are just an ancient science, which is what our friends have. Aliens… well, the jury is still out on them. I have a genetic mutation that allows me to fly- and I'm _twelve,_ thank you. So unless you have some serious evidence-"

Manic whirled around, pointing an accusing finger at the fox. I could already tell this was going to get very messy and braced for the train wreck of disbelief. "You want evidence, kid? I'll give you _evidence_!" His gaze narrowed and his expression softened slightly, "You… you've got some serious daddy issues. Family issues, really. I mean... wow. Get a councillor. No one should see their sister kill herself. And _no,_ no matter how much you try to convince yourself, you're definitely not over what your dad did to you."

Tails' mouth dropped open and he stared wide-eyed in shock.

Manic whirled around and pointed at Amy, "You!" Amy stiffened slightly, looking apprehensive.

"You're not insane," Manic said simply, crossing his arms. "I know that. Don't panic." He rubbed his wrist for no apparent reason, and Amy's eyes widened, her arms snapping in position behind her back. "You have a… mentor, let's call her. She's cool. Pretty old. But what's weird is that you always seem to hear her voice, _in your head._ "

Amy turned a shade paler, backing up a few steps. "I don't know what you're talking about!" she squeaked, clearly knowing _exactly_ what he was talking about.

Manic turned towards Rouge; she smirked, as if daring him to come up with any dirt on her. He took a deep breath, "Look, I'm gonna be honest here, you've got some serious mental shields. I've tried reading you, but you're like, really good at keeping secrets. All I got is something about a grandmother and the circus. Don't know what _that's_ supposed to mean, but whatever, not really my business anyway."

He finally turned to Knuckles, seemingly on a roll. "And you-!"

Knuckles glared, as if challenging the hedgehog to try. Manic opened his mouth, then immediately closed it, his face turning slightly pale. He was silent for a moment before shoving his hands in his pockets, looking away. "Locke wanted to come home. Don't blame him for disappearing. It... it wasn't his fault."

Knuckles didn't move, but his eyes grew slightly wider, filled with shock and confusion. Manic put up his hand, refusing to look him in the eye. "We'll talk about it later."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, exasperated. "Anyone else want a demonstration? I could have Manic throw a knife at me, I can dodge it-"

Immediately, Knuckles waved the suggestion aside. "I think we've seen enough. You're telling the truth… for once."

Ouch. But… he had a point. I buried my face in my hands, embarrassed. "I am _so_ sorry… I just wanted to find my brothers. I didn't mean to…it was just that… I… I'm sorry. I should have just told you the truth."

Knuckles didn't answer, but his expression softened just a little. Manic sat down next to me and squeezed my shoulder reassuringly; for just a moment, I smiled.

"Heh," he laughed, that familiar nervous grin I knew too well appearing on his face. "Don't give her too much grief, Knuxsy- she had one heckuva time trying to track me down. And finding Maurice hasn't been any easier-"

A large metallic noise clashed into my ears. Everyone turned around to Tails, who was standing, facing away from us. On the ground was an open toolbox, its contents spilled and scattered across the floor. His hands were trembling and he slowly turned around, his eyes wide and filled with an emotion that I couldn't quite read.

Tails looked at Manic, then me, then back at Manic. In a whisper so soft that I had to strain to hear it, he spoke. "What… what did you say?"

Manic looked confused. "Um… Sonia had a heckuva time trying to find me?"

"No… after that…" Something felt wrong. _Really_ wrong.

"Uh…" I frowned and tried to recall Manic's words, "It hasn't been any easier with Maurice?"

Tails stared at me, swallowing hard, "Who… who's Maurice?"

It was Manic's turn to look confused, "Um, our brother. Who else would it be?"

Tails didn't answer, but his hands couldn't stop shaking.

 **CUT!**

 **Yeah, we're mean but the chapter is LITERALLY 24 PAGES LONG SO YEAH.**

 **Comments on reviews (since July 20th… oh boy. Buckling up for the ride of my life...):**

 **StarlightSparks: Thanks for your patience and support. I really hope the update was worth the wait. Nope. No loop-hole. Just waiting.**

 **Caisha12: Long reviews are fun. Manic is one of my favorites to read, too. Halo does a great job at writing him.** _ **Dern strait.**_ **Sonia's darkside is like mine: terrifying, but short lived. Headcannons can be the most random things that pop in my head and yet people love them…. I don't understand it, but whatever floats your boat! Everyone died when Manic was out of sort. It was hilarious. Fan art: I enjoy some of it. Others...not so much. Halo enjoys it much more than I do, and actually does some of it. She has a tumblr account. Share it to her and then she can share it with me** _ **( haloessence111 and tooniphile-art-blog)**_ **. Oh my goodness! Season 3! WHAT DID THEY DO TO MY SHIRO? Give me the 4th season.**

 **IcyPinkFlower:** **Aw, thanks! I enjoy the whole Sonic incident as well. Very fun to brainstorm. Manic doesn't follow pop culture outside of comic books, cartoons/ anime, and movies. He really doesn't care about celebrities all that much. Sonia lived in the South, where you could just imagine it as one of those back road towns where the only TV set is in the local diner and they only turn it on during large major events (and Sonic would never hold still on camera for long enough to get a good look anyway.) LOL. You were pretty close on your first theory. I'd say about 75% was right. The last theory, not so much. *bowing down to the Queen* Well, with a name with pink and flower in it I would assume you're a girl. And update complete! And yes, that qualified as support.**

 **ultimateCCC: Amy Rose is literally the most amazing person ever.** _ **Eeehh… I'm more of a Sally fan, myself. But Amy is definitely in my top five.**_

 **Autumn: Aw… I don't have any nieces or nephews yet. But I can't wait to get them! I'm going to be that fun aunt who they think is insane… We enjoyed our summer. How was yours? *hugs back* Aw, you're sweet.**

 **MeowthKitty: It just got worse on the intensity level.**

 **Hawkfeather: We all laughed. Very hard. And honestly, Havoc showed up once. The fact anyone actually read the author's notes and remembers him is shocking. SONIC! *waits* Nope, not quite his que yet. But we're getting there. Ish. Now we have some good communication. Sort of. It gets better.**

 **MelGamingPlays: Well, he does! I mean, "I'm the fastest thing alive and so cool." Honestly, here is a slice of humble pie, Sonic. We are getting close. Ish. And yes, it will be a VERY BIG SURPRISE. I missed this story too. Update away!**

 **Afterburngaming: You're welcome!**

 **Luna Hedgefox: It got worse and we are back!**

 **MazzyBooks: She was more concerned about the time I was spending on it… and the fact that I 'talk' to strangers. Hi my name is _, from _, and I am _. Seriously. I don't do that. Thanks for your patience. It was very appreciated.**

 **Dimenian: … I'm sorry, what? Sonic is going to turn into Robotnik…? How is that even possible? He can't even work a microwave!**

 **That Speedhunter: *picks up one of the pitchers and the lemons* Sheesh, I'll go grab the sugar. Who want's lemonade? (I love lemonade. Almost as much as I love Hot Chocolate.) You missed quite a bit, apparently. Nah, it wasn't super personal. More like, "I need to evaluate my time better." Thanks and yes. Robotnik's timing STINKS. *stops and smells a metaphorical flower* I love roses! Dang, no cat posters. And if we had a stand-by screen then it has been rolling longer than Sonic '06. Geez, let's get to the actual game, please. *cuts elevator music* LOLOLOL. WAIT! COME BACK! WE HAVE A CHAPTER! (that last review made me just laugh and facepalm at the same time… Sorry 'bout the wait)**

 **Koren: I sorry. I am so glad you enjoyed it that much. Hope you still read it and liked the update. And I really want Halo to draw the look on Knuckles face. Let's see if I can convince her.**

 **Guest #1: Here is your continuation.**

 **Shadowkitten99: Here is your update!**

 **Guest #2: We're back!**

 **What's my name: That is what Halo and I have been aiming for. Keeping the story close to the games and the Sonic Underground TV show and a few other things, like the comics, but add a new twist. That, in my opinion, is the perfect AU. Sonic X… Oh boy. Where do we start on that? I enjoyed that show because it was part of my childhood, but it had it's moments of, "SONIC! KNOCK IT OFF!"** _ **SatAM will forever be the best Sonic show, in my not-so-humble opinion.**_ **Yay! Shadow is coming out good! Chow!**

 **Guest #3: I am sorry you don't like the ship. It is just what we decided to do in this story. I personally prefer Rouge and Knuckles (when Sonia is not around) but whatever floats your ship.** _ **((KNUXAMY FOREVER))**_ **That ship… I really don't understand it. Halo, don't even try and explain to me again.** _ **((BUT I LOVE IT))**_

 **Guest #4: Here you are!**

 **OH CHAOS, I NEVER WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN. MY FINGERS HURT.**

 _ **NEXT UP: THE MOMENT WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR…**_

 **No, it isn't the sibling reunion. And no, it isn't everyone finding out Maurice and Sonic are the same person.**

 **Speculate all you like. Let's see how long it takes Halo and I to type (it** _ **is**_ **kind of long). Hope you enjoyed the update! (Review, please!)**


	44. Detective Shadow

**Okay, so apparently people forgot about Detective Shadow. Whoops. Sorry if this was NOT the moment you had been waiting for.**

 **So this chapter is a little confusing because it starts WAAAAAAAAY back at 'Calling in Favors'. Remember when Shadow decides he didn't want to stay and watch the drama unfold with Sonia and Manic randomly showing up at Rouge's apartment? Well, there is the starting point. So we will be covering an entire month of 'Shadowy' actions and thoughts. Long Chapter. Lots of typing. Yay.**

 **Anyway, comments on reviews!**

 **StarlightSparks: Thanks! We missed writing it.**

 **IcyPinkFlower: I am so glad you enjoyed it that much. The scene with Tails dropping his toolbox is a scene Halo and I planned almost an entire year ago so to finally write it is going to be fun. Rouge's background story is something Halo and I have also worked on for quite sometime and… we have it kind of laid out, but I don't think we are ever going to map it out. Maybe we will include it as a headcannon at the end of a chapter or something. CLIFFHANGERS MUST DIE. But at the same time, I love them! We will be updating more often, as my ban has been lifted (however it is frowned upon…)**

 **NeckBreak: Thanks. Amy is one of those characters that I always thought needs a better backstory or explanation. So we gave her one.**

 **Autumn: Thanks! I am glad you are still enjoying it, even after this giant break.**

 **Shapeshifter 14: Who said they were not going to make the connection? Then again, it is kind of hard to tell.**

 **felixthecat123: I love your username! I am now singing the theme song and trying to steal your magic bag of tricks. Thanks!**

 **Gabiola652: *blushes* Aw, thanks! Y'all are so kind.**

 **TheOneTrueBlue: We are glad to be back and very happy you enjoyed the chapter! UPDATE AWAY!**

 **ultimateCCC: Oh boy, where do we start on that. Halo, you want to explain or do you want me too? Or we can just add it as a headcannon at the bottom.**

 **sonicforlife: *tilts head slightly* I suppose that is one way to say it…. Thank you for using the asterisks.**

 **UMMMIDONTKNOW: That is a wonderful username! (; Your review made me laugh so hard. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. "Consistent updates? Someone not being an idiot?" That was wonderful! We will do our best to keep the updates regular, but school can be a little hectic.**

 **MeowthKitty: Yep! We ended it there. And the cliffhanger is still not resolved! (; You're welcome!**

 **astorytellerbook: No comment. (; Hope you like this chapter and can hang on for a little while longer until we get to Tails.**

 **Faso: *reads review five times before grabbing a giant box of fireworks* Halo! Let's go celebrate! I am so sorry you checked everyday and found nothing. "Merlin's pants!" is right! Here is your 'MORE'. And I want to be a published author! Still working on it, but eh. It takes time and practice (this is my practice).**

 **juancastri11: Hola, amigo! It has been too long. Glad you're still here and that you enjoy the story! Hope you continue to enjoy it!**

 **Mygrane: *falls on the ground laughing* I. CAN'T. BREATH. BEST. REVIEW. EVER.**

 **MelGamingPlays: Here's your update! I hope it was on time. Hope you enjoy this chapter's surprises.**

 **That Speedhunter: *gets new pitchers with lids on them that seal* There. That should help your lemonade problem. To be honest, I kind of forgot as well. I was too focused on the next part. Get ready for a Shadow update! Sonic… well, you'll just have to see. Let the entertainment comense!**

 **Zosonils: Wait, don't have a seizure! It's bad for you health! And if you die, then you can't finish this story! LOL. Yep! We are back and happy to be back and glad you're back as well! I should try reading a chapter with a bag of candy and in the dark… Sounds like fun. *tilts head* Wait, how do you "drink school"? LOL. Aw, thanks for your support. The ban is kinda a long story… Let's keep it short: my Mother doesn't like me talking to strangers online, the actual fanfiction is okay with her… I don't get it either.**

 **Hawkfeather: Whoops! I've done that before. That is a lot of chili dogs. Havoc is unfortunately unavailable. Eh, I think the whole thing is Knuckles is bias against his ex at the moment and Tails is very much a science guy. So… super powers is just one of those things that they know exist, but you better prove it. Manic is a show stealer… or just a thief in general.**

 **Megaman07: How is Manic creepy? I suppose he has a death wish and acts like an idiot, but I don't see him as a 'creeper'. Personal opinion though so whatever floats your boat!** _ **Um… sorry you feel that way, friendo. Hope you change your mind.**_ **Halo, I'm pretty sure he is just making a point on the cliffhanger.**

 **mlargent3: Sorry for the wait. This is a long chapter and Halo and I have been kinda busy. Hope you like the update!**

Shadow's POV:

The night was warm and still, but I paid no mind to it. Rouge's apartment was long behind me, along with the strange hedgehogs. I had a mission and nothing was going to distract me from it.

Sonic the Hedgehog was more of a mystery than ever before. Even before racing on the ARK, he had already proven himself as an interest to keep an eye on. Achieving Chaos control with a fake emerald only increased my interest. Of course, my fall into the atmosphere and my brief bout of amnesia rendered the interest irellevant, but recent events had stirred my old curiosities.

 _Who was Sonic the Hedgehog?_

From my previous conversation with the General, I determined he would be utterly useless to my case; ergo, I skipped straight to the GUN database, of which I had free access to from anywhere in the building. However, I determined my best course of action would be to approach Hope about the matter- she was usually willing to help in matters of this nature.

She was a little less than enthusiastic about the objective, but seemed to determine that providing me with further knowledge of the hedgehog would cause no harm in the long run.

"Alright, _Sonic the Hedgehog_. Hang on a second…" Hope typed something in her laptop as I moved behind to her to see the screen.

She clicked on the file and the window opened up. Hope read aloud, "Alright, Sonic the Hedgehog. Age: Seventeen, Birthplace-" Hope cut off and frowned.

I raised an eyebrow at the locked content. I quickly scanned through the remainder of the file, my frustration growing with every word.

 _Name: Sonic the Hedgehog_ _ **Authorized Access Required**_ _  
Age: 17  
Birthplace: __**Authorized Access Required**_ _  
Birthday: July 23, year 3220  
Known Relations: __**Authorized Access Required,**_ _Miles Prower (adopted sibling)_ _ **  
**_ _Personality Profile:_ _ **Authorized Access Required**_ _  
Bio:_ _ **Authorized Access Required  
**_ _Current Status: MIA  
Current Affiliations: Team Sonic, Team Dark, GUN, Dr. Ivo Robotnik_

"Can you access the locked files?" I asked.

Hope gave a small shrug, "Maybe. It would take me a while and I don't know if I could do it without setting off any alarms." She frowned, "Someone doesn't want this information made public."

I scowled. Quickly thanking Hope for her assistance, I left the facility. Time to talk to someone who I didn't need a password for.

XXX

Doctor Robotnik was tinkering in his workshop when I found him two days. He hadn't been too difficult to find, although his numerous abandoned or ruined hideouts and factories made the search longer and more frustrating. He didn't appear surprised to see me. "Ah, Shadow! Can you pass me that wrench?" He pointed at the nearby workbench. I chose to ignore the comment and moved across the table to face him.

Robotnik gave a shrug before grabbing the wrench he had requested and began fiddling with his toy. "Is GUN following you? An ambush, perhaps? Dear me, Shadow, I thought you'd know better than to use such predictable tactics."

I shook my head, "You know why I am here, Doctor."

"Perhaps," Robotnik wiped his tool with a grease covered rag, nodding thoughtfully, "It has something to do with the whereabouts of the blue rat, correct?" I nodded.

He placed the tool down. "So sorry, but I can't help you."

"You have known him for longer than anyone," I crossed my arms, "GUN will tell me nothing. Miles knows nothing. I need answers and you are the only way I will get them."

Robotnik put his hands in the air, his grin widening, "All information has its price."

"What do you want?" I gritted my teeth together.

Robotnik thought for a moment, "You wouldn't happen to have a Chaos Emerald on you, would you?"

My scowl grew. I _did_ have an emerald, but it was the only one I currently possessed. I needed it for my investigation, which made it more important than information. "No," I said, keeping my face stoic and expressionless.

"It's not nice to lie, Shadow, but for now, I'll let you keep it," Robotnik's face grew slightly pale, "I remember all too well the last time your temper was tested." His face grew thoughtful again. "I will have to think about the payment… perhaps I'll have an errand for you in the future."

"I want the information _now_." I growled.

"Well, your word is as good as payment." Robotnik thought for a moment. "I want you to be… unavailable to GUN for the next month."

"Unavailable?"

"Disappear. Vanish. MIA. Whatever you wish. I have some, er... _business_ I would like to attend to without having to worry about _you_ interrupting."

"What kind of business?" I asked, growing suspicious.

"Never you mind. Just some personal errands, things to clear off the to-do list..." Robotnik shrugged. "I have the blueprints right here, if you're curious."

That settled the decision, "No. That will be fine."

"Excellent!" Robotnik grinned, his eyes lighting up. He cleared off the work table and pulled up a stool. "Sonic the Hedgehog… what do you want to know?"

"How long have you known him?"

Robotnik gave a cruel smile, "Eleven years since last June."

The amount had caught my attention before on the public challenge from the past battle, and again, it surprised me. "Sonic began to thwart your plans at the age of _six?_ "

"No…" Robotnik tapped his chin, "I simply attacked him. Our first _official_ fight was roughly four years later."

"Why did you attack him?"

"Now _that_..." Robotnik nodded slowly, his leer growing wider, "Is a complicated story."

I mentally groaned. "The short version is all I need."

"Let's just say a member of Sonic's family was causing me to suffer large migraines on a daily basis. I decided to terminate the migraines… quite literally." He said it in a way someone would check something off on their daily checklist.

I found my heart picked up slightly and a small wave of shock passed through my body. "You… killed them."

"What else would you have me do?" Robotnik shrugged again, smirking. "I terminated the annoyance, and as for his family… I wanted to make certain I didn't have some brat coming to avenge his death in the future. Unfortunately, I seemed to have missed one of the brats…"

"Sonic." I concluded, my swirling emotions hidden beneath my stoic expression.

Robotnik made a dismissive wave. "The anniversary of that event was our most recent battle, which you probably already concluded based on the information given then, and of course, this conversation."

I felt my blood go cold, but hid the sudden desire to maim the Doctor where he stood. "Thank you for the information, Doctor…" I hissed through my teeth, my clenched fists shaking in fury. "Now tell me… where exactly did Sonic live when you first… met him?"

Robotnik scribbled something down on a scrap of paper, handing it to me, "These are the coordinates of an old base of mine. His house wasn't far from it… if you can find the remains."

I tucked the paper away and turned to leave, before pausing and turning back, "One more question, Doctor."

"Hmm?"

"Why are you telling me this _willingly?_ I expected a struggle."

Robotnik gave another smile that almost sent a chill down my spine, "It appears to me that Sonic has kept this a secret from everyone, including his, eh, 'brother', or whatever he thinks he is. I always enjoy bringing dark secrets into the open." Robotnik raised an eyebrow, "And playing with my arch-rival's mind is something I do best. Good day, Shadow."

I took one last look at his smug leer and turned away in disgust. I could suddenly understand more than ever why Sonic hated this man.

XXX

The cabin was nothing more than the remains of ashes and rotted logs, which littered the surrounding area. The sight made my heart stop for a few seconds.

Most people see me as a calm, collected, heartless creature who could watch the slaughter of the innocent and never even blink. I admit there was a time when that claim was true. But over the past years with the many interactions with humans and mobians, that claim died. Not unlike this house's previous owners.

What had happened all those years ago?

I examined the wreckage, but quickly abandoned my effort. The structure was too old and too burned to investigate anything. Instead, I scanned the clearing for any disturbances or unusual areas in the woods.

Due to my agreement with the Doctor, I had opted to travel on my motorcycle rather than teleport, if only to pass the time. The actual trip down south had been… pleasant. It felt odd to not have my partners accompanying me. GUN had attempted to call me twice so far, but they were left unanswered. I had long ago disabled the tracker on my bike, so they had virtually no way to find me other than an old-fashioned man hunt.

The forest was thick and shady, which helped with stealth but not with vision. My eyes finally adjusted to the light and I found what appeared to be an abandoned trail, which was overgrown and it took a good eye to find. I followed the old path, cutting away any branches or bushes that came in my way. It wasn't a long walk, perhaps a mile or two. What surprised me was that the path seemed to have been used relatively recently. It was not cleared out enough to have been used as a common road, but small branches had been broken off and grass had been flattened. When the path broke out of the density of leaves and shrubbery, I found yet another burnt skeleton of a cabin sitting near a hidden lake, a waterfall flowing behind it.

Before I could take in the scenery, my Chaotic sense blared so loudly my eyes watered. I winced at the impact before sprinting across the clearing, over the water, and behind the waterfall.

An open cave greeted me, lined with traps that appeared to have been tripped not long ago. I hesitated, but the "screeching" grew louder and I rushed in. I was shocked by the length of the tunnel. It seemed to go miles (which only took me a few seconds to clear) and any traps that were released were far behind.

I screeched to a halt in the dead end corridor. The walls were covered in carvings and the center held an empty pedestal. The screeching had finally stopped, but I could almost see the Chaotic energy in the air.

My frown grew. Something had been in the room that had practically been pure Chaos. I brushed the thin dust layer off the pedestal. The only way to describe the feeling that rushed through me was lightning. Painful but quick. My eyes turned towards the walls, quickly scanning any legible writing.

Although I was not fluent, I could make out a few words. They made no sense in the long run, but there was one thing I managed to understand. Something was wrong with this set up. There was supposed to be a guard nearby.

I frowned. Too much information was making my brain deviate from the original objective. I tucked the cave and it's contents into the back of my head before heading back out to the burned cabin.

XXX

It took me nearly three days to find the graves, and it was by pure accident. As far as I could tell, no one was around for miles, and those who had been were either chased away or suffered a fate not unlike Sonic's.

After yet another unproductive day of searching, I had headed back to the secret lake to try and sort out my hundreds of questions, only to find another one awaiting me there. Three headstones stood hidden in a small, inconspicuous clearing that I hadn't noticed before. It was charred and burnt; no plants had grown here for years. Three headstones, welded from metal, stood tall in the ground.

 _Here lies Julian "Jules" Hedgehog, a Heroic Father and Brother_

 _Here lies Aleena Guinevere Hedgehog, a devoted Mother_

 _In Memory of Maurice Julian Hedgehog, a beloved Brother_

The date of death on all three was July 24th, year 3226.

I had previously thought my initial anger of the event that Robotnik had participated in had dissipated, but the headstones seemed to finally hammer the message in. Robotnik was a murderer. He had knowingly destroyed everything that Sonic ever cared about, at an age where he couldn't do a thing about it. That was _unforgivable_.

I whirled around and threw a chaos spear at the nearest tree, watching it shrivel and burst into splinters. That sick, twisted man had _grinned_ at the memory of burning innocent people to a crisp. He had _laughed_.

All these years, Sonic was _right._

I had never truly understood why Sonic was so obsessed with the destruction of this one man. He was a problem that needed to be controlled, that much was obvious- but I had never anticipated that he would have ever gone this far to eliminate his enemies.

No… what am I saying? Of course he would. He had attempted to blow up half the world. A family that stood in his way? There was no question as to what he would do. I suppose I should have known that from the beginning. Men like Robotnik were not afraid to do whatever it took to secure their regime. I learned that lesson a long time ago.

My anger dissipated, replaced with a nagging feeling of… sadness. I turned back to the headstones, brushing off the dust and leaves that had long ago settled. The headstones were carefully made of fused steel, the letters scratched in deeply. Someone had made sure they wouldn't fade for years to come. Rust had started to spread over the sides, but it would stand for several years to come.

Who had made these headstones? Sonic was not a welder. Not today, and certainly not when he was six years old. Miles, perhaps, but never Sonic.

That did not fit either… Miles had never been informed about Sonic's past- at least not to this extent. Perhaps an old family friend had done it as a favor… That did not add up either. Based on the house's remains in the surrounding area, no one else had lived here for years, if ever.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. Perhaps I could find out. The Chaos Energy within this area was stronger than most places. I reached out and touched the middle headstone, closing my eyes and focusing hard on its energy.

' _Where did you come from?'_ I asked the stone in my head. An image of a mountain entered my mind. Not exactly what I meant.

I tried again. ' _How were you made into a headstone?'_

An image of a furnace flashed across my vision. I frowned, slightly frustrated. I was not aware that inanimate objects could be sarcastic.

' _ **Who**_ _made you into a headstone?'_ I specified.

This time, I received a positive answer. The blurry image of an older hedgehog, with light blue fur and hard eyes flashed across my mind.

' _Can you show me more?'_

The world seemed to drop at my feet and I almost passed out from the sudden drain of Chaotic energy.

What happened next is... difficult to describe.

It was as I had been transported to another world, another time. I stood in the same forest, but the world seemed blurred, like a washed out photograph. The ash surrounding the many burnt patches seemed more recent now, curls of smoke still rising over the tops of the trees.

The headstone I had been holding onto was no longer rusting; it looked almost new. Next to me, an older blue hedgehog with a bushy white mustache and a bitter, grieving expression was finishing setting up the final headstone, the one belonging to Maurice. His hands shook and he bit his lip, looking as though he were about to break down in tears.

Behind him were two children who had already done so. The first, a pink hedgehog with two limp pigtails and wearing a sweater that was far too big for her, was quietly sniffling next to a tree, drying her streaming eyes with her sweater sleeves. The other, a green hedgehog with untidy hair and red sneakers, seemed almost too stunned to cry at all. He sat on the ground, rocking back and forth and mumbling something I couldn't hear; his breaths were short and shallow, as if he had to force his lungs to work. They both looked about the same age.

The older man finished his work and took a moment to look at the three headstones, although he did not seem to take any notice of me. Silent tears dripped down his face and he turned away, refusing to let the children see him.

I studied the man's features, startled to find how similar he looked to Sonic. Come to think of it… the other two seemed to resemble the hedgehog as well. I hadn't seen any photographs of when Sonic was a child, but I could imagine him being about their height and build.

A chill wind blew and the man stood up, wiping away any trace of his tears. He turned back to the children, a blank and unreadable expression on his face.

" _Come… come on, kids,"_ he blurted out gruffly, his voice trembling. " _We gotta… we gotta go now."_ A fresh wave of tears erupted from the pink hedgehog, and the green one's expression hardened.

" _Uncle Chuck, why we gotta leave 'em here?"_ he asked quietly, staring fixedly at the graves.

" _Because we just do, Mani- Matthews. Come on,"_ he said, a little harder this time. "Matthews" shook his head, refusing to take his eyes off the graves. The pink hedgehog remained in the shade of the tree, her sobs quieting down a bit but still going strong.

The older hedgehog grew frustrated. " _Matthews, come on, get up! We don't have time for this kinda' nonsense!.. You too, Sofia, we gotta hit the road, and fast."_

Sofia moved to stand up, but Matthews stayed silent for a moment before blurting out simply, " _I don't like that name. I like my old name better."_

" _For pete's sake, Mani-_ _ **Matthews!**_ _This ain't the time!"_ the man shouted suddenly, causing the two children to flinch. Sofia's sniffles increased dangerously, warning that she was about to start wailing.

" _Y-you two- we need to go,"_ the man said, a bit softer this time. " _It… it ain't safe here."_ His eyes darted around skittishly, afraid of some invisible predator- and I had a good guess of which one.

Slowly, the two young hedgehogs got up and followed their Uncle out of the clearing; as they walked farther away, though, Sofia's sobs grew louder and louder until it was almost deafening. As the noise increased, the scene grew darker; my eyelids felt heavy, and I could vaguely feel myself falling backwards…

I gasped for breath, my eyes bursting open and my heartbeat going a mile a minute. I was back in the first clearing; the headstones were rusting once again, and most of the ash had been cleared away over time. I gulped down deep breaths of air; I felt as if I had been drowning. My head was spinning, and it took a few minutes before I could think straight again. When I was able to recollect my thoughts, I found myself on my knees leaning against the headstone.

Note to self: Never do that again.

These people were obviously connected to Sonic, somehow. Most likely a familial relation of some sort. There was still the possibility that they were only friends or neighbors, but I was beginning to doubt that.

Someone had survived the attack other than Sonic. But where was the hedgehog? It was as if he had not existed to the mourners. Or more likely, I had not seen the entire story. Perhaps the other survivors would have the answers.

There was only one way to find out.

XXX

According to the results of my investigation thus far, this town was a likely place that the man and children would have hidden. It was well-hidden from the world; the town was so small that it did not even appear on the map. There was a single school, a post office, a bar, a few dozen houses scattered around, a grocery store and a gas station. A place I would normally drive through without a second thought.

I had no way of knowing that this was for sure the place that the man I had seen in the vision had went, but I could take an educated guess based off the faded remnants of chaotic energy I tracked. All the signs pointed south, and this was the farthest town in that direction. Beyond here was an uninhabitable expanse of wild desert and mountain, a near impossible area in which to raise two small hedgehogs.

I noticed the gas meter of my motorcycle was running low, so I pulled into the gas station to fill up. It was getting late; the sun had already set and the sounds of crickets chirping rang out softly in the background. This town had no street lamps; the only lights in sight were glowing dimly from the insides of the houses and buildings. The night was silent, with the exception of the crickets and some raucous shouts from inside the bar across the street.

Out of nowhere, I suddenly realized that I hadn't eaten in four days. Unlike most mobians, I do not require three meals a day to sustain myself. However, the feeling of hunger does tend to overtake me once in awhile. Besides, I had time.

I thought briefly of checking to see if the bar had any sort of food services, but decided against it. I had no desire to deal with drunks. Instead, I opted to investigate the gas station.

It was larger on the inside than it initially looked. To one side was a cash machine, presumably where I would have to pay for my gas. A few shelves of dusty magazines and snack foods lined the walls; the store looked entirely deserted except for a few noises in a back room.

I walked over and pushed open the door; inside was what appeared to be a diner of some kind. One or two customer sat quietly in the booths, sipping coffee or reading newspapers. A sandy-haired coyote stood wiping the counter, perking up when he heard the bell on the door jingle.

"Well, hey there, Levi! You's a lil' early toni- Oh," he stopped, slightly taken aback at the sight of me. He chuckled nervously, his eyes skitting around the diner but refusing to meet mine. I noticed how he backed away slightly, and wondered for a moment if he had been watching the news during the Black Arm's infamous attack on Westopolis.

No matter. I selected an empty booth and sat down, picking up a menu, opting to order whatever came first on the list.

Hamburger.

I could live with that.

I cleared my throat loudly; the coyote jumped slightly, but grabbed a notepad and walked over to my table.

"Er… what 'kin I do ya fer, stranger?" he asked, clearly uncomfortable.

"Hamburger," I said simply.

"Hrmpf… Well, yer 'n awfully direct one, ain't 'cha?" he muttered, scribbling down my order in his notes. "Hey! Hey, Milo!" he yelled over his shoulder. "Gimme a bessie 'n make 'er cry!"

...What?

"Milo" seemed to understand, at least; in a matter of minutes, a steaming hamburger with onions had been set in front of me. The coyote (whose name tag read "Bobby") seemed to want to distance himself from me as much as possible, taking the opportunity to inform his other customers of my presence. They seemed equally unnerved, mumbling suspiciously about me under their breath; to my surprise, however, their concern seemed to center around me being a new face in town, rather than my now-notorious affiliation with the Black Arms. Odd.

I finished quickly and threw some cash on the table, all too eager to get out of here. Right as I was about to exit the diner, a thought occurred to me.

"You," I said pointedly at the coyote. He perked up, clearly annoyed that I had interrupted his conversation with the other patron.

"Yeah, what?"

"I am looking for an older hedgehog with two children in his care. Is there anyone currently living here that fits that description?"

The coyote raised an eyebrow. "Ya mean 'ol Charlie?" he sneered. "Sounds like him. Ain't left that dump 'a his in years."

"And where is this… 'dump' located?"

"Edge 'a town, 'bout two miles west 'a here. Erm… how da' _you_ know 'im?"

I did not bother to answer him, instead moving to leave. Before I made it to the door, however, a hand clapped on my shoulder; I turned slowly to face my aggressor, the smug-faced coyote.

"Listen here, stranger," he snarled. "I dunno how things work where _you_ from, but 'round here, you answer when I talk, geddit? Now ima ask you one more time: how da' you know- _GAACK!"_

Before he had the opportunity to finish, I had seized him by the throat and lifted him in the air, forcing him to look me in the eye. He clawed at my fingers, trying to pry them apart, but my grip never loosened.

"My private dealings are none of your concern," I said simply, watching as his face started turning blue. "Will that suffice?" He nodded his head quickly.

"Good," I dropped him; He laid on the ground, gasping for breath and backing away in horror. The customer he had been previously talking to only stared at me, slack-jawed with shock.

"This never happened." And before he could even open his mouth, I turned around and exited without a word.

XXX

The sun was long gone by the time I located the junkyard my informant had spoken of. Upon closer investigation I discovered that the sign's lights had been smashed, making the words indistinguishable in the dark, but there was no mistaking the piles and piles of trash scattered around the lot.

I wandered around for several minutes, trying to find the main office, assuming the owner was even here or if he had returned home for the day. The night was quiet, which helped when I heard a very soft 'click'. A 'click' I knew all too well.

"Guess ya can't read, stranger. We closed."

I turned around to face the light blue hedgehog who currently had a rifle pointed at my face. Most people either quiver in fear or freeze when a gun is held anywhere in their general direction. I am not most people.

"Are you Charlie?"

The question caught the man off guard, causing his aim to sway for a moment, but it steadied quickly, "Who wants 'ta know?"

"Shadow the Hedgehog. Agent of GUN," I said, pulling out my ID.

The man didn't even flinch. "GUN, eh? Nice try, they ain't been down here in over ten years." Charlie motioned with his rifle, "But that's besides the point. Git offa my property 'n come back in the mornin'."

"I am here to ask you some questions, and I do not have time to waste." I took a step forward and Charlie tensed slightly, repositioning his gun.

"Ain't my problem. I know my rights. Get off my property or I'll shoot you dead, don't make no mistake about it."

I allowed a cold smile to spread across my face. "I would very much like to see you try." Charlie snarled; I was moving before he even pulled the trigger. Being equipped with skates that can move at nearly the speed of sound can be very useful. I ran in a circle around the man and came to a halt directly behind him.

Charlie stared at the spot where I had previously stood and where a bullet had been lodged in the ground, more than a little confused.

"If I were you," I growled softly. The man jumped, startled; he whirled around and backed up quickly, "I would not try that again."

Charlie blinked a few times before firing again. I simply sidestepped it took two steps forward and slammed my fist into his stomach, sending him clattering to the ground and making him drop the gun. I kicked the rifle away and glared at the hedgehog. "Allow me to clarify: _Do not_ do that again."

Charlie stared at me with a mixture of horror and a dawning understanding. "Y-you… I know what you are, ya… Ya _freak!_ Git away from me!"

"I am not here to hurt you," I said patiently. "But unless you would prefer it to come to force, you _will_ answer my questions. Have I made myself clear?"

Charlie coughed softly, "I suppose I don't have a choice."

I chose not to reply. He already knew my answer.

XXX

We sat across from each other at the scuffed and worn out kitchen table, him lightly petting his scruffy yellow dog. The inside of the house was no more impressive than the outside; the walls were constructed of a mismatched combination of rusty tin pallet and peeling, whitewashed scrap wood, the floor made up of cracked and disintegrating concrete. The furniture was scarce, to say the least; shoved against the wall was a broken, second-hand couch that might've been blue in earlier years; the television had been left on, now showing nothing but static. A few dusty photographs had been pinned on the walls and a makeshift bookshelf had been pushed in the corner, holding what looked like a photo album and a handful of crumbling paperbacks.

The kitchen was no better. The pantry door had been left open, revealing a crusty loaf of bread and several cans of beans and spam furnishing the otherwise barren shelves. There was no oven; in its place was a cheap camp stove on the wooden countertop and a single saucepan cooking something that smelled like rotting socks. A humming refrigerator was plugged into the wall; it clearly used to be white, but the spreading rust covered it in an ugly reddish brown.

A staircase led to an upstairs, where I concluded his children were- assuming they were still around. Obviously, this man did not live in the lap of luxury; I had the feeling that he had salvaged most of his furniture from the junkyard out back. If his children had opted to strike out on their own, I wouldn't have blamed them.

"Awright, Muttski, you git' on outta here," Charlie pushed the dog away. It obediently trotted outside, pushing open the ratty screen door with his nose. Charlie turned to me, no trace of humor in his slate blue eyes. "How 'bout we git to the point, huh? Whaddaya want from me?"

Despite getting shot at by this man, I could not help but feel some respect. He was to the point and did not waste words. I couldn't help but smile.

"Answers, Mr. Hedgehog. Starting with the story about what happened to the two cabins several miles north of here."

Charlie raised an eyebrow, "An' what exactly makes you think I know _anythin'_ 'bout that? Far as you know, I've lived 'round these parts all my life."

"You and I both know that is not true." I folded my arms and narrowed my eyes.

"An' why do ya want ta know?"

"GUN investigation."

Charlie glared at me for a moment, before his gaze softened slightly. "Sho's a late investigation fer a murder that happened eleven years ago."

I did not make a sound, but motioned for him to continue.

Charlie sighed. "Look, I didn't see the whole thing, but I'll tell ya all I know," He pressed his fingertips to his forehead and took a deep breath. "Les' see… I was sittin' in the kitchen, makin' me some dinner when I… I heard some explosions. I figgered a new miner moved into the area or somethin'. Couldn't think 'a any other explanation, an' I didn't pay much 'tension ta tell ya th' truth. Lil' while after that, I heard my niece and nephew yelling fer me," He gave a sad smile that quickly faded. "I wasn't 'spectin them, so I figgered they was coming by fer a surprise visit. Then I saw..." He swallowed hard, unable to meet my gaze. "What they was runnin' from."

Charlie paused, collecting his thoughts, "See, ever since I knew Julian started this savin' people thing, I knew somethin' bad was bound ta happen. An' just in case that ever did happen, I… made precautions, so ta speak. Tunnels," he added, answering the question I had not yet verbalized. "The three of us got out through the basement and hid in the lakeside caves. We hunkered down there fer a few days 'fore I thought the coast was clear enough for me to go see if I could find the rest of the family." His face grew pale, "I found my brother an' sister-in-law's bodies. Th-they… they were…" he shuddered and closed his eyes, his shoulders shaking hard with silent tears.

I nodded slowly, "You do not need to describe it."

Charlie didn't answer, but looked down at his hands. "Maurice… I never found him, but I… I assume he died th' same way. He was so small… prolly' carried off by some wild animal." His voice was choked with sobs bursting to come out; I hesitated to press any further, but this interview would be better finished sooner rather than later.

"Do you know who did it?" I asked after a while, careful to keep my tone quiet.

Charlie shrugged, seeming to have retaken control of his emotions; his voice had once again returned to its flat and gruff state he had first greeted me with. "I knew my brother was doing some hero work in the surrounding area. He never told me much, but from what I could gather, some lunatic was trying to take over the country with 'a buncha robots. Burnin' down villages. Nabbin' folks left an' right. Well, Julian sure wasn't th' type to stand by an' let that happen, so he got ta work organizing some troops ta fight 'im off. Our pop was once a commander in th' military, so he taught us a few things 'fore he passed. Julian was always the heroic type, even when we were children. And even a mad man couldn't rid him of that virtuous trait."

That sounded familiar. Very familiar. "You mentioned a niece and nephew. What of… what of their fate?"

"Them?" Charlie raised an eyebrow and sighed gruffly. "They're gone, been gone fer more than a year now. Matthews- the boy- me an' him had a bit of a spat a couple a' years ago… gone by mornin'. Ungrateful lil' punk, never knew how good he had it. Sofia left to find 'im an' hasn't been back since."

My heart skipped a pace at the names, but my face remained blank. That was impossible… unless it was not. "Who else survived?"

Charlie frowned, "No one. Jus' us."

That did not fit. Sonic was still unaccounted for. "Are you sure?"

"Don't 'cha think I know my own family?" Charlie demanded heatedly.

I did not respond, thinking for a moment. "Do you have a picture of your brother?"

Charlie glared daggers, but he did not object. He stood and walked over to the bookshelf, then removed the photo album. He placed it on the table in front of me. "This was all I was able to save before my house was burned to the ground." His voice was tense and obviously guarded. He did not want me to look through it, let alone touch it. Understandable, but acknowledging personal sentiment was not a priority at the moment.

As gently as possible I opened the cracked and peeling leather book. The first page was an older picture, perhaps thirty years old. Three hedgehogs stood, all male. The oldest, a light green hedgehog with streaks of gray in his quills was wearing a military uniform. His hands were on the shoulders of the other two, and a large smile on his worn face. I identified one of the younger hedgehogs as Charlie. He was perhaps twelve years old, but the fur color hadn't changed much. His eyes seemed brighter. Happier. The second hedgehog nearly made me do a double take. A miniature Sonic stood, perhaps seven years old. Maybe younger. I reminded myself that this was not Sonic, but perhaps a family member or even his father. The caption read, " _The Hedgehog Family: Father and sons, Charles (Chuck) and Julian (Jules)."_

I turned several pages, flipping through the pages of the two brothers. The book fell open to a page, many years later. Julian was holding hands with a purple hedgehog. The two were dressed elegantly and the title above read, " _Jules and Aleena's Wedding Day."_

Only a few pages later I found the answer. The family portrait was simple. Two parents smiling proudly at their three children, even when the three clearly couldn't hold still. A pink hedgehog was being held by Aleena, while a green hedgehog and Sonic struggled to free themselves from Julian's arms. Julian himself looked a little exasperated, but was laughing nonetheless. The caption read, " _Maurice, Manic, and Sonia's First Birthday."_

"Who is who?" I pointed at the three children.

Charlie frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly, but he answered. "Pink one is Sofia. Green is Matt. Blue is Maurice."

I nodded slowly, "And what was Maurice's fate?"

Charlie pursed his lips, but answered anyway. "I told you, he's dead."

"Of course." I shut the book, my frown deepening slightly. Nothing from that sentence made me believe he was lying. Perhaps he did not know that 'Maurice' was alive. Which brought another question forward: Did Sonic know part of his family- any of his family- was alive? Did Robotnik know he had not only missed one child, but all of them? Everything I had seen lead me to believe that the answer was a definite no.

I needed to think about this.

"Thank you for your compliance," I said, moving to get up. Charlie nodded curtly, picking up a broken radio on the floor and fiddling with it.

I perked up. It was small… very small, but it was there, and growing… Chaos energy.

"Wait," I said sharply; Charlie jumped, straightening his spectacles. I took a deep breath and concentrated, trying to get my bearings. The source of the energy seemed to be coming from Charlie's direction.

"Wassamatter with you?" asked Charlie gruffly, setting down the radio. Immediately the signal evaporated.

This was new. "Have you…" I struggled to find the words. "Have you ever heard of the Chaos Emeralds?"

"Can't say I have."

"Have you heard of Chaos Energy?"

"...Can't say I have."

"Have you heard of Chaos-"

"Look, th' only thing I know about Chaos is what I learned in church," he said, his voice growing frustrated.

Hmm. "So you are religious."

"Ha! Not anymore."

I could understand that. Perhaps a different approach was needed. "Do you have any knowledge of… supernatural abilities?"

He stiffened,."Ya mean like what you got? The freaks?" I nodded. "No."

I did not believe him for a moment, although to his right, he was an excellent liar. "We both know that is a lie."

"Um, no it ain't."

"Yes, it is."

" _No, it ai-"_

I banged my fist against the wall, sending a shudder through the house and cutting him off. "I will ask one more time, and once only: _Do you know anything about supernatural abilities?..._ And if you even _attempt_ to lie to me, _I will burn your house to the ground."_ I summoned a Chaos spear in my hand and glared. Charlie gulped, his fingers twitching for the rifle he had set aside.

"Awright… fine," he said after a moment, clearly shaken. "Yeah, I know 'bout them powers. My… my niece had 'em. An' they were nothin' but trouble."

"The niece or the powers?"

"Both. Sofia had this… thing about her. She used ta have these seizures an' faintin' spells an' told me she had… visions durin' 'em. I remember her waking up screaming and goin' on an' on about whatever wacky fantasy she dreamed up."

Interesting. "Is that all?"

Charlie hesitated for a moment, his eyes flicking over to my Chaos spear. He shook his head. "...No. Sofi… Sofi wasn't like other kids. She was sharp- always knew when somethin' was comin' at 'er. You could hock a load 'a pebbles at her head and she'd catch 'em all with her eyes closed. I seen it happen. I… I can't explain it," he finished, dropping his gaze and sounding ashamed.

"And the boy?" I asked. "Did he express anything similar?"

Charlie snarled. "That good fer nothin'? Naw, he never had anythin' like what Sofi had, thank goodness. He was enough trouble by himself. I always figgered he had ta have somethin', though. But he never showed any signs."

"Why would you think he had something? Do these… abilities run in your family?"

Charlie glared. "I ain't no freak, if that's what you're wonderin'. But my brother… he was the fastest runner I ever saw. Always thought Maurice would turn out the same way, that squirt never could sit still."

That explained a few things. I allowed the new facts to be processed before a new question came to mind, "Were there any… ruins near your old house?"

"Ruins? None that I'm aware of."

"Then ancient cave systems. Or a place that was regarded with secrecy? Or danger?"

Charlie scratched his head, his face furrowed in deep thought. "The only thing that comes to mind is something my father told me when I was younger."

"Which is…?"

He looked away. "I… I shouldn't say. Old family tradition."

I glared, tightening my grip on the Chaos spear. "Tell me."

"Geez louise, boy, you don't have no respect fer your elders, do ya?" he grumbled, crossing his arms.

I sighed. "How old are you?"

"Fifty-two this April."

"I am about your age."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "You are _not._ "

I chose to ignore the comment, setting my spear on the table and pointing it at his heart. " _Tell me._ "

"Fine." He said, leaning back on his couch, "My family's lived in that valley fer generations. Most 'a my relatives left after they grew up, but someone always stays. No matter what," He paused, and I motioned for him to go on. "Anyone else sort of stays away from us. We, uh… We ain't social people. Julian built his cabin close to mine because that valley was his home an' he didn't wanna ever leave. Wanted ta raise a family there. I stayed 'cuz I liked it. But my father, and his father, and his father… you get the idea. Anyway, they stayed 'cuz they had to."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Charlie shrugged, "Wasn't ever told the specifics. My mother hit the road when I was a kid an' my father died in the Great War when I was fourteen. He always said he had somethin' special ta tell me when I turned sixteen, but..." He shrugged. "What's done is done. Ain't no use dwellin' on someone who ain't comin' back."

Not good enough. "Are you sure he did not tell you anything? Anything at all?"

"Something about that valley… it ain't natural," he said, his voice lower as if afraid to talk about it. "Anyone who pays attention can feel it. An' fer some reason, my dad-blamed family seems drawn to it like bugs to a light. At least the oldest kid in th' family. I never wanted to leave until I was in charge of my niece and nephew an' the valley wasn't safe no more. I thought it was the best for them. Now that I'm gone, I never want to go back… just… just in case."

This man was a walking paradox. " _Get to the point."_

"Hold yer horses, sonny boy, I'm gettin' there," he replied gruffly. "All I knows is that there's somethin' there my family is supposed to protect. An' we did, fer who knows how long."

"Now that it is unguarded, whatever it is?"

Charlie shrugged, "Listen, I don't even know _where_ it is. How in the world could I guard it?"

… He had a good point. "That will be all, Mr. Hedgehog. Thank you for your cooperation." I turned to leave and was almost out the door when I heard the click. I spun around just in time as the bullet was fired. I reached out my hand and summoned a small burst of chaotic energy, catching the bullet in midair. My fist closed around it and with another surge of energy, melted it and molded it into a flat piece of lead. "Do not," I dropped the lump on the floor, "do that again."

The hedgehog shrugged before placing the gun back down on the table and picking up the broken radio. "Eh. Worth a shot."

I closed the door behind me, stepping out into the still night. I had found all available answers. Now all that was left was to piece them together.

The only problem was I had a feeling I was missing a few pieces. And one of those pieces was very obvious: If Sonic was not here or at his old home… Where was he?

XXX

Sonic's POV:

Nothing wakes you up in the morning like meeting your evil self. If you think I'm joking, I'm not.

It's happened before. Heads up, a green me looks really weird. It was kind of like if I fought Manic- which was impossible since he was… well, dead, and not too fond of leather jackets- but this… this was different. For the past who knew how long, I'd been trying to get my head on straight. Problem was, that was kinda difficult because of the voice in my head that never left me alone.

" _It's not worth it."_

At first I just thought it was stress. I had been alone in the forest for way too long. But as time passed… I began to think something was up.

" _Don't worry. You can trust me."_

I wanted to go home, but at this point I was too disoriented to even begin to make my way out of the forest. The Voice didn't make things any easier; every time he talked- which was often- I felt a chill down my spine and instinctively ran deeper in the forest, trying desperately to get away. When I ran, things were better. It stayed quiet. But even I can't run forever.

" _You can't run from yourself, Maurice. Why try?"_

Sleep. I needed sleep- but with sleep came the nightmares. I was scared to close my eyes- bad things happened in those dreams, darkness and shadows and laughter- that horrible, maniac laughter that I couldn't escape, no matter how far or how fast I ran. But my eyelids were growing heavier with every step I took; Finally, I gave in.

I thought that maybe I'd be lucky tonight. The voice had stayed quiet for a few hours. While I was drifting off, things felt almost… peaceful.

" _Mau-rice..."_

My eyes snapped open- or at least they did in dreamland. The Voice was back.

I blinked a few times to adjust to the lighting; I was sitting in a bright white spotlight, with nothing but darkness around me. I squinted hard, but couldn't find anything outside the circle of light but endless shadows. Something rustled past my ear; A cold laugh sent a chill up my spine. Immediately, I jumped back, but nothing was there.

" _Expecting someone?"_

Oh no. No, no, no, no… "W-who's there?" I asked shakily, feeling stupid because I already knew the answer.

" _Oh, Maurice…"_ I bite back a gasp as a shadowy figure stepped out of the darkness, stopping just in front of the circle. " _Don't you recognize me?"_

Even though he was still obscured in black, I was able to make out some of his features. I backed away, startled; he looked just like me. Same height, same face… Was I looking in a mirror?

" _I know what you're thinking, Maurice…"_ I flinched at the name. " _And you're right."_ He took a step into the spotlight; I froze, paralyzed.

Everything about him, down to the slightest detail… it was me. Everything but the color. His fur was still blue, but so dark it was almost black; a mist of inky smoke radiated from him; I recognized the scent of fresh blood.

 _"Aw... you poor kid… Don't you understand?"_ He stepped closer, his cold smile widening; I couldn't move or even look away. I was hypnotized. The spotlight was growing smaller and smaller, dimming my surroundings but somehow keeping him in sharp focus. He smirked, and suddenly, all that I was aware of was his low, cold voice, penetrating me like a knife.

" _I'm you... the real you."_


	45. Dilemma

Tails' POV:

This wasn't happening.

This _couldn't_ be happening.

In the back of my mind, I was aware of the others trying to talk to me, but I wasn't listening. She had said Maurice. As in _Maurice._ As in the name Sonic had been hiding since the day I met him.

I tried to shove the wave of doubt and fear that had risen up in my stomach. There are probably hundreds of people named Maurice in the world… Who are hedgehogs. Yes. Definitely. That is plausible.

Just... not highly probable.

I swallowed hard and tried to turn my focus back to my friends. Knuckles was shaking my shoulder gently and calling my name. His voice was steadily growing louder and more concerned.

"Tails! Talk to me! Say something already!" he said, sounding worried.

"Yeah… sorry, just thinking." Somehow, I managed to speak without sounding too out of sorts. Inside, I was still screaming. Knuckles frowned and glanced over at Amy; she shrugged.

Manic was staring at me, his eyes fixed in an unblinking stare. An odd feeling came over me, that feeling of being watched- no, invaded. Remembering that he could read minds and was probably doing so _right now,_ I quickly began to recite random math formulas and trivia in my head, trying to block out any thought of Maur-

 _Sonic._

Manic blinked, looking surprised; his stare only intensified. Scrap.

"So… yeah." said Sonia uncomfortably. "That's it, I guess. We've been searching for our brother and… I don't know why I lied. I'm sorry."

"It's… fine." said Knuckles slowly, still refusing to look her in the eye.

There was a moment of awkward silence that I hardly noticed; my mind was racing and I still could feel Manic's eyes boring into the back of my head.

"So… if that's all…" said Sonia, moving to get up.

" _No!_ " burst out Knuckles. Sonia looked surprised and Rouge clenched her fists even tighter than before. Knuckles coughed, backing away slightly.

"Um… what I uh, what I meant was, um… Didn't you- didn't you have a question for me about Echidnas, or Chaotic energy? Something like that?"

Sonia hesitated, "Is now really the best time? You seem pretty busy… with that attack on the city and your friend missing. And after all of…" she motioned around at the room, " _This_ … I think it might be best to leave it alone for now." Knuckles protested with something about him being fine, but I ignored the conversation.

My mind was racing, trying desperately to understand what was going on. Sonic's disappearance, Robotnik's attack, Shadow vanishing, Sonia and Manic popping up out of nowhere, and-

 _Maurice._

Sonic would have told me if he had siblings. I mean, that seems like something you would tell your adopted brother. This must be another Maurice. He _had_ to be a different Maurice.

Right?

Before I had a chance to think about what I was doing, I blurted out, " _Was he blue?"_

Sonia and Knuckles must have been arguing because they both looked over startled. Manic raised an eyebrow, his eyes still glued on me.

"What?" Sonia asked, very confused.

I forced myself to calm down and looked at her, struggling to force out the words. "Your… _brother…_ was he blue?"

The question clearly caught her off guard and she took a moment to compose herself, "Um… yes. W-why do you ask?"

"... No reason." I began to pace back and forth across the floor, trying to stay calm.

Knuckles seemed to have forgotten his argument and approached me slowly, "Tails… is something wrong?"

"No!" I replied, a little too quickly. Knuckles raised an eyebrow.

"I… I mean…" I stuttered. "No. Nothing is wrong."

"Are you sure?" Knuckles asked firmly. "You look a little pale." He tried to put his hand on my shoulder, but I ducked around him.

" _I'm fine."_ I gritted my teeth together and held back an entirely different set of emotions. Ever since Sonic had vanished, Knuckles had tried to be a little more… close, I suppose. I get it, I'm twelve and, legally speaking, shouldn't be living alone. But Vanilla checked on me every day and besides, I was used to being home alone, since Sonic liked to go out and run so much. I was used to the more distant Knuckles… the one who wasn't quite so friendly. It was weird.

I motioned back towards our two guests, "I… I just need to think. Figure them out right now."

Knuckles frowned, but turned back to Sonia. "Look, you're here, so... you might as well just ask."

"Well…" Sonia gave a timid smile, "I don't have it on me right now, but while we were searching for Maurice, Manic and I found something… really _weird_."

Really weird? Yeah, I got something that can one up you, sist- Nope! Not even going there.

I began to fit the pieces together in my mind, and I wasn't liking the picture. They looked about the same age, had similar features, and the descriptions fit. They even knew his real name… no. No, this had to be a coincidence. I racked my brains, trying desperately to remember anything Sonic had ever told me about his past-

-and drew up a blank. Did he never tell me anything? I mean, I _was_ his brother- albeit, his adopted one. You'd think something like _this_ would come up in conversation sometime during _five years_. But _apparently not!_

I tried to calm down, reminding myself that none of this was confirmed as fact. There was still the possibility that these two were talking about some other hedgehog. But…

"When was his birthday?" I blurrted out, interrupting again.

This time, Sonia didn't even bother to clarify, "June twenty-third. Um… why do you ask?"

Alright, I was done. I grabbed the nearest wrench and went to smash whatever was on my worktable, but Knuckles managed to yank it out of my hand before I did so. He pushed me back, looking alarmed.

"Woah, Tails! What the _Chaos_ are you doing?" he demanded, the wrench swinging uselessly from his hand.

I began to bang my head against a worktable, repeating " _Scrap! Scrap! Scrap!"_ over and over again. Everyone just watched with confused and slightly horrified expressions on their faces.

A loud pop sounded outside, and for a moment everyone froze. The doorknob shook and turned, and the door flew open. Shadow took a few steps in before pausing. His eyes flicked from me, to everyone. When he saw Sonia and Manic, his eyes grew slightly wider. He looked back in my direction. We only held eye contact for a few seconds, but that look was all I needed.

He knew.

I turned back to the worktable and banged my head a few more times.

XXX

Sonia's POV:

Alright, so the fox had just snapped and some hedgehog just walked in the room. Today just kept getting better and better, didn't it?

I sighed; Maybe I should go grab Manic and get that corn dog he had been talking about. For once, the idea of vendor food didn't disgust me. Unfortunately, the arrival of the black and red hedgehog left me with the impression that this entire day was about to get even worse. Manic's expression of pure horror alone alerted me to the fact.

"Shadow!" Rouge fluttered over to the newcomer and crossed her arms, glaring fiercely. "Where the _heck_ have you been?"

"Out." he replied, as if that explained everything.

"For a whole _month?_ What's the matter with you?" I got the impression that Rouge and "Shadow" were on friendly-ish terms, since Rouge wasn't trying to slug him for vanishing. (honestly, what did Manic see in her?)

Shadow pushed her away and walked briskly over to Tails, stopping the boy from whacking his head again on the table. Tails looked up at him and moaned softly.

"He didn't tell you?" Shadow asked, his voice soft and... almost gentle. Tails shook his head, looking like he was holding back tears.

"Do they know?" asked Shadow; Tails shook his head again. Shadow placed both hands on the kid's shoulder before mumbling something too soft for me to hear.

Tails looked at the ground and nodded slowly, almost reluctantly. "I... " He swallowed, "I agree."

Shadow stepped back, turning towards everyone else, who seemed about as confused as I was. He nodded to me, "Sonia, Manic."

Okay, I was _positive_ I had never spoken to this guy in my life. How the heck did he know my name? I narrowed my eyes and slowly reached into my purse, "Who are you and how do you know our names?"

Shadow crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at me, "Do not even _think_ about shooting me. I already had to deal with your Uncle."

Knew it. The day just got worse.

Manic's expression went from shock to pure delight, "Wait, you met my uncle? Did you vaporize him? Oh my gosh, please say yes."

"Manic!" I hissed, nudging him hard.

"What? I'm just asking!"

Amy threw her hands in the air, "Can someone explain to me _what the Chaos is going on_?"

Shadow motioned for her to sit down, his expression neutral. "I can explain, but we will need to start at the beginning."

"The beginning of _what,_ exactly?" I demanded, growing more and more suspicious. Who did this idiot think he was? Behind me, Manic was frantically motioning for me to back down. I ignored him.

Shadow patiently held up a hand, "Have a seat."

I crossed my arms and stepped closer, giving him one of my best death glares. "Hmm, well, let's see, how 'bout _no,_ " Jaws dropped around the room; I could hear Manic praying under his breath. I hardly noticed. "I've got questions and I want answers."

"And if you _let me speak_ , I will tell you everything I know," hissed Shadow through gritted teeth. "Now _sit down._ "

Maybe I was being a little rude. Or maybe I was just so completely _done_ that I didn't care. "Why don't 'cha come over here and make me, tough guy?"

Shadow's eyes flashed with anger; his hands curled into fists and shook with restraint. I smirked, ignoring the incredulous expressions of everyone else.

Shadow took a few steps towards me. He raised his hand to push me into a nearby seat, clearly out of patience; I reached up and caught his wrists, gripping them hard and forcing him to make eye contact. "Touch me, and I _break you._ " My voice was calm and hard. "Get it?" Shadow raised an eyebrow, surprised, but he did not break eye contact.

It's... difficult to describe what happened during the few moments of silence that followed. The simplest way of putting it was that, without saying a word, the two of us came to an understanding. Shadow pulled his hands away and gave me a respective nod. I nodded back before sitting down and motioning him to start explaining.

Manic's face alone was worth it. He stared, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. He pointed at me, then at Shadow, trying to speak but with no sound coming out of his mouth. After a moment he stopped trying and sat down on a nearby work table, stunned and silent.

Knuckles quickly recovered from his shock and turned to Shadow, "Well, um… Where exactly have you been for the past month? We could've used your help, y'know."

Shadow shot him an irritated glance before he began the story. It… wasn't what I expected. He explained that he had been looking for Sonic and found some... interesting information regarding me and Manic and exactly why Team Sonic has been trying to take down Robotnik in the first place. And, long story short, that was how I found out Maurice had not only survived, but had grown to become the hero now known as "Sonic the Hedgehog."

On the bright side, I wasn't alone in not knowing.

" _WHAT?_ " Amy's was the first shriek, followed closely by Knuckles' exclamation of, "I _dated_ Sonic's _sister?_ "

Manic rolled his eyes and leaned back, crossing his arms. "Really, man? _That's_ what you're worried about? I mean, yeah, I get it and all, but dude, get your priorities in check."

Rouge raised an eyebrow, "Funny how you're talking about priorities when you don't seem the least bit concerned with how your long-lost brother works for GUN and you happen to be a wanted criminal, _Maniac_. But hey, no biggie, right?"

Manic's eyes went wide and I had to stop him from falling backward. "Holy crap… holy crap..." he muttered, his hands starting to shake violently. Suddenly, he turned towards me, a desperate look in his eye. "We can't go back to jail, Sonia! _Never again!_ "

I glared at him, very annoyed he had brought _that_ up. "Manic, don't be ridiculous. Maurice is _not_ going to throw us into jail. I mean, come on, he's our brother!"

I heard a door slam and saw a swish of orange fur as Tails rushed out of the room; Amy and Knuckles exchanged glances and she raced out after him without a word. Rouge still seemed interested on why Shadow's investigation took him a whole month, and started hissing something at him that I couldn't hear. Manic was ranting about Sonic's ego under his breath, with Knuckles trying to grasp reality.

I wondered to myself if anyone would notice if I left, and quietly wandered into an empty back room, sitting down on a work bench. I think that was really when it hit me. Maurice was alive. I mean, I always knew that, but there was that small part of me that worried I would never find him. And now I knew why the search had been so difficult- He had changed his name and taken on a new identity, exactly like Manic and I had.

If we had known he was Sonic, I could have just called Knuckles and asked for a meeting. I almost choked as I realized that, almost a year ago, I had actually _talked_ to him- although it was over the phone and it was some comment about Knuckles and me dating. Still, we had _exchanged words._ And neither of us knew it. Chaos, why hadn't I just agreed to meet his stupid famous friend? Then this entire year wouldn't have wasted traveling around constantly trying to both cheat death, evade the law, and get over breaking up with my boyfrie- brother's friend.

It was stupid how obvious the situation was. I felt tears threatening to form in the corners of my eyes but pushed them back, feeling them burn deep down in my chest. All those months of searching for nothing. It _wasn't fair._

A single teardrop trickled down my cheek; I quickly wiped it away. No use crying over something in the past. What's done was done, and there was nothing I could do to change it.

The sound of the door opening caught my attention. To my surprise, Shadow walked in, a scowl on his face. He didn't appear surprised that I was in here. He nodded to me, but didn't move from the doorway, choosing to lean against the doorframe.

I gave a small nod to him, "Is something wrong?"

"No."

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes." His sentences were short and choppy, but not necessarily rude, at least.

I hesitantly got to my feet, "Um… I was, uh, wondering, um… how exactly did you… well..." I motioned with my hands back towards the room, unable to grasp the proper words.

"Find the truth about Maurice?" Shadow asked, his expression unchanged.

I nodded, "I mean, look, I don't care about the how- I mean, I _do_ care about the _how_ , but I don't-" I groaned and pinched my nose, "This isn't coming out right."

Shadow blinked once, "What you're trying to ask is how did I find the answer in such a short time when you could not?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, maybe a little too quickly. "Manic and I looked for _months_ , and we just found dead end after dead end after _dead end!_ And you only looked for a couple of weeks, with nothing to go off of but a few clues here and there!"

Shadow remained silent for a moment, "You were looking in the right direction, just from the wrong perspective."

I tilted my head slightly, confused. "What do you me- oh, Chaos." I grabbed my head as my vision started to swim.

A blurry Shadow seemed to grow concerned and took a few steps forward just as I passed out.

By this point I was used to spontaneous vision, or at least I thought I was. But this vision… this was different. It was a mix of old things I had seen, both in my mind and in real life. Tikal's creepy, unearthly voice came back to mind, fading in and out, sometimes quiet, other times deafening.

 **"** ** _It has been left unguarded…"_**

An image of the black emerald appeared in front of me, blurring away the rest of the room until the gem was in sharp focus. A cold, cruel laugh echoed through the air; I wanted to scream, but no sound escaped me.

" _ **Listen well to my warnings..."**_

 _Shadow's face was calm and expressionless, refusing to look me._

 _"Get out of here._ _ **Now.**_ _"_

" _ **You may see what comes, but you can never change the future's course..."**_

 _I stood in a hospital room. A life support machine was rhythmically beeping, slow and steady with no bumps or pauses. Shadow's eyes were closed and his body was covered in so many bandages I almost didn't recognize him. Wires ran around the bed to separate machines, each silent, but obviously keeping the hedgehog alive._

" _ **Blood must be cleaved to and not forsaken..."**_

 _Tails' desperate and terrified voice rang in my ears; I covered them, but the sound only grew louder._

 _"MAURICE! WAKE UP!"_

" _ **The decision to trust may be the difference between life and death..."**_

 _Manic's back was to me as I yelled something incomprehensible. He was shaking back and forth muttering something I couldn't hear, clutching his sides as if trying to hold himself back. Suddenly he whirled around, wearing an expression of hatred and fury that I had never seen from him before._

 _ **"Shut UP!"**_ _he yelled, smacking me across the face so hard I fell over. I let out a cry of pain as I hit the ground..._

" _ **The Darkness feels no mercy for its victims…"**_

 _Someone had wrapped their fist around my throat and I felt my airway close off. Manic's desperate pleads for my attacker to release me filled my ears, feeling much more painful than anything the killer had done before. I gasped for breath, but my throat was collapsing… My vision was spotty and clouded, and Manic's voice seemed to be growing farther and farther away until I couldn't hear it anymore at all._

 _I still wasn't breathing._

The next thing I knew I was staring up at the gently whirring ceiling fan, my head throbbing. Shadow was standing above me, his expression neutral; he held out a hand and helped me to my feet. I groaned as I stood up, shaking my head.

"Ugh…" I groaned, my eyesight blotchy and dizzying. "I hate it when that happens."

Shadow simply nodded, "It is not a pleasant experience, to be sure."

I frowned and raised an eyebrow at him, "Have you ever… do you get visions too? Of the past, or… or the future?"

Shadow frowned deeper, "Not exactly. It is... difficult to explain. I possess many Chaotic abilities, some that I am not even aware of. Occasional clairvoyance or precognition is among them."

Alright… I'll buy that. I sat down on the worktable again to try and get my bearings again. After a few minutes of silence, I remembered my manners, "I know you already know who I am, but we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Sonia. Crazy psychic and terrible detective." I grasped his hand and shook it firmly. He looked slightly startled by this gesture, but seemed to allow it.

"Shadow the Hedgehog. Agent of GUN. Ultimate Lifeform." he replied, shaking my hand in return.

I gave a small smile, "So… one question: why exactly is my brother so scared of you? He mentioned something about Westopolis and hiding in a basement."

"Westopolis? That explains it," he grumbled, nodding slowly. "Your brother… he must have seen me preventing an alien invasion there some time ago. That… was not my most noble moment," he admitted. "Most people are afraid of me. You appear to be an exception.

"Speaking of which…" he continued, eyeing me skeptically. "About earlier."

"What about it?"

"While I admire your audaciousness…" he started, his voice suddenly hard and firm. "You must understand that I could have killed you in an instant. I am sure you are familiar with what I am capable of."

"No, not really," I said, shrugging.

"Then allow me to spell it out for you," Shadow held out his hand and, out of nowhere, an electric gold spear materialized in his hand; I jumped back in shock, feeling it pulse with energy even from a distance. I had no clue what that thing could do to me, but I had a feeling it wouldn't be pretty.

"This is a warning. Know your place," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

I shuddered. "Are… are you _threatening_ me?" I demanded.

"No threats," he said calmly, vanishing the spear as quickly as he had summoned it. "Just ensuring that, if you attempt to intimidate me like that again, the consequences will be no one's fault but your own."

I opened my mouth to protest, but thought better of it. Shadow and I exchanged a few more words before Rouge called him away for a GUN check-in. He begrudgingly left, clearly not looking forward to the meeting. I said goodbye before he and Rouge vanished with a pop and a flash of golden light.

He wasn't called the Ultimate Lifeform for nothing.

XXX

Manic's POV:

Holy freakin' Chaos.

My hold on reality was crumbling before me.

Since when did _my brother_ find the time to become an international celebrity hero? The last time I saw him, he was too chicken to climb on the roof, let alone protect entire cities from swarms of robots! And if he's anything like the tabloids make him out to be, he's not exactly humble about his adventures, either. At least _that_ sounded like him. Cocky little squirt. Always thought he was the coolest thing since peanut butter just because he was good at playing Tag.

The others didn't seem to be taking the news very well, either. Knuckles, he looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. And that Tails kid… I honestly couldn't tell if he wanted to cry or punch something. Probably both, to be honest. Good thing Amy went after him- I got the impression that he was the type to set fire to his own house just to blow off steam.

Rouge and Shadow seemed to be the only sane ones around here, and they just left- something about GUN protocol or whatever. I think they're pissed that Captain Edgelord went MIA and didn't bother to ask permission. Honestly? I don't blame him.

Gotta hand it to Sonia, though, getting Alien Boy to back down took a lot of guts. I might've laughed if I wasn't, y'know, terrified that Shadow was gonna snap her like a twig. (And she says that _I'm_ impulsive.)

Sonia had wandered off somewhere and wasn't back yet. And with Amy and Tails out who knows where and Rouge and Shadow off to get yelled at by the government, it was only me and Knuckles left in the room.

Awkward much?

"So…" I trailed off, trying to think of something to talk about. "You're a… guardian."

"Yup."

"Well, uh… how's that goin' for ya?"

Knuckles shot me a look that was somewhere between suspicious and incredulous. Clearly, he thought I was an idiot.

…Fair enough.

"Alright man, I'm gonna be straight with you," I said, deciding to get serious. "I know about your dad."

 _That_ got his attention. "Yeah, I was gonna ask about that," he started, already sounding irritated. "Even with your mind-reading thing, there's no way you could've known about what happened to my dad. _I_ don't know what happened to him. So how would _you_ know if he wanted to come home or not?"

"Hoo boy…" I muttered, almost regretting having brought this up. Where would I even start? "How do I put this… Okay, see, when I was ten, I ran away from home-"

"I'm not looking for your life story, punk." he snarled, crossing his arms and glaring. "Get to the point."

Okay, sensing some hostility here. "I'm getting there, hold your horses!"

"Just spit it out already!"

"Geez man, chill. Anyway, so I was ten and homeless and basically starving. I had no money because I wasn't very good at pickpocketing yet, so my income was whatever I found in the gutter. This kinda lifestyle went on for a while and, long story short, I almost got trampled to death by the rush hour crowd," I took a deep breath. "Your dad… he saved me. Gave me a granola bar too, I think. We started talking, and I… I messed up. I wasn't very good at controlling the mind reading thing back then, and… well, I let a few things slip."

"Like what?" Knuckles asked quietly, clearly deep in thought but hanging onto my every word.

"Like how I knew about Guardians and Angel Island and his name and who knows what else. I don't remember a lot of that conversation," I racked my brains to remember what exactly was said, but only a few tidbits stuck out. "He got real interested in me after I started giving away all that. Got out this purple diamond and told me to concentrate. It's kinda fuzzy after that, but…" I couldn't help but shudder. "Bad vibes. Real bad vibes. I think it burned my hand or something. And ever since then… I dunno, I don't like being around gems. Weirds me out." As if on cue, the newly burned spot on my right hand stung painfully; it was all I could do not to wince.

"Huh," was all Knuckles said. Man of few words, I see.

I continued. "After that… that's when things started getting bad."

Knuckles looked up. "What kind of bad?"

"Um… you ever been mugged?"

Knux shook his head; I sighed. "It's not fun, lemme tell ya that. Well, a little while after the gem thing happened, these three guys came up to us and…" I struggled to find the words. "Well, y'know… they mugged us!" I spat out, not really caring to dwell on that memory for too long.

"So what?" asked Knuckles, a little too casually for my taste. "Look, I know what my dad was capable of. He could've pounded those morons into the ground-"

"No, he couldn't," I interrupted, more than a little irritated at this point.

Knuckles scowled stubbornly. " _Yes_ , he _could._ "

" _No,_ he couldn't!"

" _Yes he-_ "

" _Zip it,_ musclehead!" I burst out, jumping to my feet. "Ya wanna know _why_ your old man couldn't handle those suckers? It was 'cuz of that _stupid gem!_ It… it _did_ something to him! He couldn't fight, and they wouldn't go away, and they had a… they…" I trailed off, the memory suddenly as vivid and clear as though it had happened yesterday. May as well have.

I sank back down into my seat, my face buried in my hands and the sound of that long gone gunshot ringing in my ears. Dead. Shot. Gone because of that stupid gem… a crazy emerald, or whatever he called it.

"He's dead, man," I said quietly, unable to raise my voice above a whisper. "I saw it happen. He… he ain't comin' back."

I couldn't tell what was going on in his head; it was almost like he had shut down. For a little while, all we could do was just… sit there. After a bit, though, Knux seemed to turn back on, and I could read him again. I half expected him to get mad and blame me or some other bullcrap, but… he didn't.

"Okay."

"... Okay what?" I asked, confused.

"I believe you," he replied calmly, standing up.

I stared at him in disbelief; he was taking this _way_ too well. I had prepped myself to start running in case he tried to beat me up as a way to vent. Somehow, though, this felt scarier. "You… aren't mad."

"No," he said with a neutral expression. "To be honest, I kinda figured he was dead in a ditch somewhere. I've gotten over it. All this was was confirmation of what I've suspected for eight years. ...Thanks for that, I guess."

"Um… you're welcome?"

Sonia walked in out of the side door, looking surprised that we had been talking. I quickly got up and shoved my hands in my pockets, heading towards the exit.

"Well then…" I said awkwardly, "Glad I, uh… confirmed your suspicions, or however you put it. Um… see you around, I guess."

"Yeah." replied Knuckles, smiling at Sonia but quickly looking away when she noticed. "See ya. Bye, Sofi- I mean, Sonia."

She smiled crookedly, giving him a little wave before heading out. I stuck around.

"One more thing, buddy..." I clapped a hand on his shoulder. "We gotta talk about you dating my sister-"

Knuckles grabbed my wrist and squeezed so hard I thought my bones would shatter; he snarled, "I can kill you in eight different ways."

"... Good talk."


	46. Queen of Hearts

**Well, apparently Halo and I were so excited to post the new chapter, we forgot to review comments last time.**

 **Whoops.**

 **So, apologies and forgiveness asked for. We will do them this time. Sorry 'bout that. Reviews!**

 **Autumn: Thanks! Hope you enjoy this one as well.**

 **That Speedhunter: *pulls out five dollars* I'll buy one pitcher. I wouldn't say Shadow is soft, but he is at the same time. We have a story kinda planned out for Shadow (if we get to it…) But we'll just have to see. Clarification time on the whole 'Eggman' comment. That isn't Eggman. That is Robotnik. They are NOT the same person. Sorry 'bout that confusion. *begins to whistle nervously* Spoilers. 2nd Review: Yeah, we have had that chapter planned out FOREVER. Kind of like this one. That was Halo's idea to have Tails be a pyro… apparently. I really don't agree with it, but whatever. (** _ **It was a joke, Era.)**_ **Yeah, Knuckles is not bringing that up anytime soon. Can't say I blame him. Never seen that show. Again, *winks* spoilers. LOL. Why are you reading other people's reviews? Well, no one is stopping you. And isn't that what reviews are actually for? READ THIS STORY. IT IS AMAZING. This site does not use reviews correctly...**

 **StarlightSparks: *facepalm* I cannot believe we forgot the Author's note! Ugh! But I am glad you enjoyed it.**

 **ultimateCCC: Let the truth come forward!**

 **NeckBreak: Aww… Thanks! I agree that dedicated writers are hard to find. I like Sonamy, but I ain't a huge big romance writer. *Reads instructions five times and scratches head.* You want me to what?**

 **Shapeshifter 14: Yay! We filled expectations!**

 **Megaman07: *whistles* Haven't the slightest idea what your talking about.**

 **MeowthKitty: Really? I can't see Tail's as a pyro. It was Halo's idea so I blame her.** _ **(AGAIN, I was joking. Or more accurately, Manic was joking.)**_

 **Faso: Shadow is a combo between what we know about him from video games and tv shows, but I think the main contributor is the Archie Comics, to be honest (not the evil King Shadow… that was a weird arc…** _ **I thought it was cool. Tyranny seems to suit him**_ **). Shadow has just sort of evolved in my mind, I suppose to…. Well, this! I really like it and I'm glad I am not the only one. SA3, uh? I would have no idea what it would be about but, thanks!**

 **Indiechuu: Good luck! And when you get here (if you get here) congrats!**

 **Jayfeather34: I am so glad you enjoyed it! Here's the update and here's to hoping that you continue to enjoy this!**

 **Alright, so two old POV's addressed in this chapter (one I do not think we have ever used in LRH… fun!) Explanation will be after. Enjoy the chapter!**

Sonia's POV:

To be honest, when I asked Knuckles to join me for lunch, I didn't actually think he'd say yes. I mean, even if he wasn't really interested in his so-called girlfriend, I figured he'd still try to keep up the facade, at least around me. But he seemed almost eager- and to tell you the truth, I was thrilled that he wanted to go out with me again.

Not that this was a date or anything! Nope! Strictly business. The plan was to discuss the jewel Manic and I had found in the caves, and to see if Knuckles could help us figure out what it was and what kind of power it possessed. Hanging out with him- _alone-_ that was just the icing on the cake.

I sat at a table in front of a window facing the street at a small family-owned restaurant. I had told Knuckles to meet me at two o'clock, but had arrived over a half an hour early. Don't judge me- I'd been going crazy just sitting around all morning in the van. Manic had been leaving the van early and staying out late for almost three days straight, doing who knows what, so I'd been journaling while getting steadily more nervous for this afternoon. After all, we hadn't spent any time alone together since we broke up, and six months is a long time… he might've changed. _I_ might've changed. Would we still like each other the same way?

Okay, so _maybe_ this wasn't strictly business.

I missed him. Breaking up with him was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done, and now that I know that he could've introduced me to my apparently famous brother, it might not have even been necessary. Just thinking about the whole situation frustrated me.

I glanced at my watch; it was one forty-three. Maybe I shouldn't have come so early-

"Am I late?"

I looked up and grinned before I could stop myself; Knuckles had arrived over fifteen minutes early. Maybe I wasn't the only nervous one.

"No, you're fine!" I insisted, gesturing to the seat across from me. He smiled, obviously relieved.

"Oh, good…" he sighed. Had his eyes always been that shade of purple? "I lost my watch, and me and Rouge got in a fight before I came here, so I was worried that I was making you wait."

The moment he mentioned Rouge, my mood soured. Yeah, I knew that she and Knuckles weren't _actually_ together, but that shameless floozy sure liked to pretend. All the time. Particularly when I'm around.

"Oh! That's, uh… that's too bad," I said, playing absentmindedly with the salt shaker. "What, uh… what were you fighting over?... If you don't mind me asking?"

"Ugh, I don't understand her," he griped, scowling at the ceiling. "Apparently, Shadow and her were arguing earlier about a GUN mission or something, and I guess she wanted to vent? I dunno. But then I told her that I had other stuff to do and she got all mad, and… I don't even know anymore. This is all too confusing."

I smirked, "All girls are confusing. Some... more than others."

He grimaced. "Yeah… I'd rather keep the drama to a minimum. That's why I like being with-" He stopped himself just in time, but I could see the word he was about to form and could hardly suppress my smile. Looks like I wasn't the only one who regretted the break up… then again, it hadn't really been his choice so… _Ugh! Focus!_

Our waiter came for our orders (a roast beef sandwich for him, salad for me); It felt strange to be doing this with him again. Almost like before. Before I found Manic and had to leave the city and went on that wild goose chase, before I found that creepy black gem-

 _The gem!_

"I almost forgot!" I exclaimed, Knuckles perking up. "I need your help."

"Yeah?" he said brightly, probably glad to get off the subject of our failed relationship.

I reached down for my bag, "So Manic and I were looking for Maurice… Sonic?" I looked up a question on my face.

Knuckles shrugged, "Either works. I think."

Okay then. "Anyway, we were looking for… our brother, and stopped by the valley where we grew up. Y'know- just in case. But instead of Maurice, we found this weird cave near our uncle's old house, and, well… how do I put this… we were… I dunno, drawn to it. On the inside, it had a bunch of really old markings on the walls, some that I understood, some I didn't-" I stopped abruptly and took a deep breath. "Sorry, this isn't coming out right."

"No, no, don't worry about it. Keep going," Knuckles gave me an encouraging smile, which I gratefully returned.

"So we went in," I continued. "It was kinda like that one Montana Badger movie where Montana goes into the ancient temple and there's a ton of death traps and stuff. It was actually kind of cool, in an adventuring sort of way." I shook my head, getting back on track, "Anyway, at the end of this cave we found… well, _this_."

I reached down and grabbed the side bag next to my purse. I flipped the flap open to find-

A single sheet of paper.

"Um…" Knuckles scratched his head, "You found a piece of paper?"

"No!" I grabbed the sheet and quickly scanned it, before rolling my eyes. " _Manic…"_

"Uh… what about him?"

Instead of answering, I handed Knuckles the note. He read aloud, " _'Dear sis- Your weird gem was creeping me out, so I hid it because I don't like nightmares. Sorry not sorry. Sincerely, your dearest brother. P.S.- Please don't kill me!'_ …And there's a happy face at the end." Knuckles tilted his head, "Your brother is…weird."

" _I hadn't noticed._ " I took the note back and threw it in the bag, disgusted. "I'm sorry, I should have checked before I came here. This was a total waste of your time."

"No!" said Knuckles quickly, shaking his head, "No, it isn't a waste of time. Not at all."

I felt my face turn slightly red and had a suspicion Knuckles was also blushing (even though it was nearly impossible to tell). "Oh- okay." I gave him a crooked smile and we made eye contact a few seconds too long.

"Um… so..." I started, nervously smoothing out my skirt."How, uh… how've you been the past few months?"

He shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Same as always. Uh… how 'bout you?"

"Tired of my brother's antics. But good." We sat in awkward silence for a moment, neither of us really sure what else to say.

"Um… Have you seen the new Montana Badger movie?" I asked.

He grinned. "Of course! Wasn't it great?"

"Oh, I haven't seen it yet. Manic's not really into that sort of thing." I shook my head, a little annoyed. "I tried to drag him to see it once, but he says it's overrated. Something about Space Truck being better."

Knuckles groaned and placed his face in his hands, "He and Tails should have a marathon together. The kid can't get enough of that stuff."

We ended up just geeking out together about Montana Badger until our food arrived, him careful to not mention any spoilers for the new movie. I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoyed just hanging out with him. In fact, the only break we had in the conversation was when we remembered to thank the waiter.

I was facing towards the window that looked out on the street; Knuckles had his back turned to it. He didn't seen what I did.

A familiar white bat wearing a hot pink trench coat stood paralyzed on the sidewalk outside the restaurant. Her expression was unreadable; Was it surprise? Anger? Hurt?... It suddenly occurred to me that Rouge- who I _despised_ \- might have... feelings. I felt a pang of something in my chest that I couldn't identify. Was I feeling… _guilty?_

Rouge seemed to compose herself again and quickly walked off, lost in the crowd. I shrugged it off; she and Knuckles weren't even dating, so he could do what he wanted. And if she didn't like that, then oh well.

"What are you looking at?" asked Knuckles, turning around and staring out the window.

"Oh," I answered, shaking myself out of my daze. "Nothing. …What were you saying about that last scene?"

XXX

Rouge's POV:

I whacked the punching bag as hard as I could; The _nerve_ of him.

Knuckles lied to me. He said he just needed some air and was going out on his Extreme Gear. Fine. Whatever. Not having someone to vent to about my stupid partner wasn't the end of the world. And if he wasn't always straight with me about everything, who cares? We weren't even dating. Not for real.

The bag broke a seam as I hit it again. I wasn't used to this. Men didn't use _me_ \- I used _them._ I was doing Knuckles a _favor_ by helping him convince that goody-goody ex of his that we were together, even though _I'm_ doing most of the legwork. Not that I'm complaining- Knuckles is one heckuva kisser when he's in a good mood. Problem is, he's almost never in a good mood around me. Only _her._

 _Sometimes-_ I thought, having another go at the bag- _I really hate him_. Stuffing tumbled to the floor as I continued to beat the punching bag. None of this was fair. I do so much for that ungrateful hothead and he hardly looks at me. What does that self-righteous prig of an ex-girlfriend have that I don't? He can't stop drooling over her, but he treats me like dirt- _nobody_ treats me like dirt. _Ever._

 _So then_ _ **why do I let him?**_

A good, hard kick was all it took to tear a good sized chunk out of the bag; My chest was heaving as I tried to catch my breath. I was glad I had decided to come to the gym today- Sweat always felt better than tears.

"Yeesh. Remind me not to get on your bad side."

I whipped around, startled. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, grinning like an idiot; brushing the mop of green quills out of his eyes while somehow only making the whole thing messier, he moved to take a step forward but hesitated.

I scowled. Matthews- sorry, _Manic_ Hedgehog was the absolute last thing I needed today. "What do _you_ want?" I snarled. His grin widened; I hated that no matter how mean I was to him, he never shied away. Couldn't he take a hint?

"Remember that one time?" he started cryptically, sounding like he was about to tell a joke. "At your place, when you promised that you'd forgive me if I made some certain, uh… sacrifices?"

"How could I forget?" I replied, turning to take a shot at the punching bag. He flinched slightly, but didn't back down.

"Well… I did it." he said simply.

I froze; there was no way. I gave him that challenge _specifically_ because I knew it'd be impossible. No, he had to be bluffing.

"Oh, really?" I asked in a mock-interested tone. "Fascinating! So pray tell, Maniac- how'd you do it? Removing a _vital organ_ and living to tell the tale couldn't have been easy."

"Yeah, about that…" he said, smiling guiltily. "So I've been poking around a bit and, fun fact: there's pretty much no chance of me going through with that and living to celebrate my next birthday. Also, I can't think of any sane doctor that would do it. Plus I'm broke."

Called it. "So you lied to me."

"Oh, not at all," he answered, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I got you an organ, all right."

"Is it the musical kind?"

"Ha! Almost did. Nah, I got something better. It's not the real thing, but…" He groped around the inside of his jacket pockets, taking out something small.

"Close your eyes," he said softly. I glared at him, pursing my lips; he rolled his eyes, but that irritating smile never slipped away. "Just do it, 'kay? And don't peek." I sighed- anything to get him to go away faster. I shut my eyes, hearing him clip something around my neck and feeling the sensation of cold metal on my chest.

"Okay, look."

I looked down; a small, heart-shaped locket rested there, gleaming even in the dim lights of the gym. The color was strange- somewhere between pink and gold, and with a miniscule diamond inlaid in the center. Rippling designs were etched into the edges, looking like they could move on their own. This was… beautiful.

"Open it," he said, his voice soft and barely audible. I pressed the button on the side and it flipped open; I expected there to be some sort of picture inside, but instead, there was was a tiny inscription:

 _ **I Give You My Heart**_

It was like the world had stopped; I wasn't expecting this. If this locket had come from anyone else, I'd have taken this as one of the generic love tokens I often received from hopeful suckers; something pretty to look at but nothing of real value. But this was different.

Matthews was a thief. That's how he survived. Otherwise, he had no job and no income. He could have easily swiped this off someone rich, but… no. This was just too specific. The heart shape, the inset diamond, the inscription… this thing was _unique._ There was no way he could have stolen this.

"Heh," he said sheepishly, shuffling around awkwardly. "Took me forever to pick enough pockets to cover that. But… you seem like the expensive type." I'd forgotten that he could read minds. Suddenly, his expression shifted to something more… serious? Huh. Weird.

"Look, Rouge..." he started. "I know I ain't the most honest guy out there, but I really mean it when I say that I'm sorry. I hate that I made you feel so bad.

"And I ain't gonna lie…" he continued, staring at the floor. "I like you. A lot. I've seen who you really are, you ain't as bad as folks make you out to be. It ain't fair, all the flack they give you. And before you say anything," he said quickly as I opened my mouth to reply, "I'm sorry that I've been so… pushy. That… that wasn't cool. And if you really ain't interested, I promise I'll back off. Okay?"

"I…" I trailed off, searching for the words but finding none. Matthews… was acting like a normal person. Not some pervy street rat. Not the desperate stalker. Not even that sky-high acid trip version. This was just… sweet. Thoughtful.

"I'd… I'd better get going," he said, moving to leave. "Pockets to pick, brothers to find, and all that jazz. Well… See ya around, Angel."

Angel. He hadn't called me that since the Meerkats disaster.

"Matthews, I-" I started, but quickly cut myself off; He was already gone.

Typical. I tried to land another punch at the bag, but my arms felt weak. I held up the locket to examine it one more time, admiring the delicate intricacies of the design. Suddenly, something caught my eye; on the back of the locket, the almost hypnotic swirling pattern had smoothed out, and yet another soft etching had been carved there:

Two angel wings.

This time, I kicked the punching bag straight into the wall.

XXX

Amy's POV:

Nearly three days after the… _incident_ , I found Tails flattening a long sheet of metal in his workshop. On second thought, flattening wasn't exactly what he was doing. He was just whacking it over and over again with a sledgehammer, causing more lumps then anything. He was breathing hard; how long had he been doing this? Knowing him, probably hours. Most likely this wasn't even his first sheet of metal.

I plastered a hopeful smile on my face and wandered over, "Hey, Tails. Um… Whatcha doin'?" He glared up at me, clearly not in the mood for a heart-to-heart.

My smile faded. "Tails, it's been three days. I know that you're upset about… them," I said, careful not to mention Sonia or Manic. I'd seen how he reacted that night, and it… wasn't pretty. "But you know that you can always talk to me about it, right?"

He rammed the hammer down on the metal again, the resulting clang echoing around his workshop. "Go away, Amy."

" _Well, he is certainly 'up in the dumps'."_ said a silvery voice in the back of my head.

I mentally told Rin to shut up and redirected my attention back to Tails. "Listen Tails, locking yourself in your workshop and brooding isn't going to help anyone. Talk to me!"

Tails set down his sledgehammer and scowled. "About _what?_ " he snapped, the irritation in his tone stabbing at me like a needle. "What am I supposed to talk about, Amy? The fact that Sonic has been hiding everything about himself from me? That he _lied_ to me?"

"Technically, he didn't lie. He just... didn't tell the whole truth."

His glare narrowed. He turned back to the metal and gave it another hard whack.

"...Sorry. Not helping." I sat down on a workbench, folding my hands in my lap. "I'm… I'm just saying you need to look at this from Sonic's perspective. Like… say you had a sibling who died and you were really, really sad about it, would you tell Sonic about them?"

Tails looked at me incredulously, " _Yes._ "

"Oh, really? You wouldn't want to keep it to yourself?" There goes my analogy.

" _No._ Quit acting like you know what you're talking about," he said, his voice unusually cold. No, not cold- empty.

"...Tails?" I said simply, my voice barely audible.

I flinched as his sledgehammer slammed down on the table, forming a good-sized dent in his worktable. He was trembling slightly; silent tears were running down his cheeks.

"That's _just it_ ," he muttered, clenching his teeth. "I told him everything _._ _EVERYTHING!_ " he shouted. "All the things I would have never let anyone else know! My mom is _dead!_ My dad _hated my guts_ and probably still does- if he's not dead from alcohol poisoning by now! My sister threw herself off a bridge! I'm a two-tailed, mutated freak of nature! It's a chaos-cursed _miracle_ that I lived to meet him at all! I _trusted him,_ Amy!" he yelled, the stream of tears freely flowing down his face now. "And he can't even bring himself to tell me something as _basic_ as him having a _family_ once upon a time! And he says we're brothers!"

I was stunned; His parents? His… _sister?_ Since when did Tails have a sister, much less one who jumped off a- Oh. Oh, chaos. I'm officially the worst friend ever.

Tails continued whacking at his metal, each word pounded out. "So what does that make me? A replacement? Something he has around to make him feel validated? A… a fake?"

I needed to sign up for more psychology courses. Or just leave it to the professionals. A GUN psychiatrist would do him some good. "Tails," I began slowly. "Maybe he didn't want to tell you… because he didn't want… to scare you."

Tails slammed his hammer down on the table. "Amy, I have fought against evil mad men who have wanted to destroy the world. I have nearly been tortured to death _multiple times_. Not to mention I have to constantly deal with a stupidly irresponsible brother who always seems to be disappearing on me. Whaddaya want from me? Should I be _relaxed?_ Okay with all this? _Should I?_ "

"Tails, has it ever occurred to you that Sonic didn't want to lose you to Robotnik too?" I burst out. "His whole family was killed by that man. Call it a hunch, but I don't think he wanted to lose you to the same guy!"

"Then maybe he should have warned me!" Tails whirled around, glaring at me with anger, " ' _Hey, Tails! My parents and siblings were killed by Robotnik! You should be careful around him!'_ That was _literally_ all he had to say! Done, signed, sealed, delivered. I wouldn't need anything else. THAT WAS _IT!_ " He slammed his fist on the table.

I didn't move for a moment, watching Tails breathe heavy as the dangerous gleam in his eyes died down. I had to remind myself that he was only twelve. He was still just a kid. A kid that I'd known for years, and I knew that underneath that anger was fear. Fear of losing the only real family he ever had. What everyone in Team Sonic was afraid of. I walked forward slowly, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. He tensed, but didn't flinch.

"Tails… he still loves you, you know."

The fox looked at me, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. I bit down on my lower lip, letting free a gentle smile, "You mean everything to him. I know that he'd never try to hurt you on purpose."

Tails quickly looked away, rubbing his eyes. He didn't speak for a moment, but when he did, his voice was shaking, threatening tears. "I… I need to get back to work. Th-thanks for stopping by, Amy."

He turned his back to me, grasping the sledgehammer but not picking it up; The conversation was over. I quietly said goodbye, leaving Tails to his sheet of metal. I wasn't sure if I had helped or not, but... at least I tried.

Time to deal with a completely different issue. "Rin, for the first and last time, it isn't 'up in the dumps', it's ' _down in the dumps'_. That doesn't make any sense."

" _Your modern day phrases are… puzzling."_

I mentally facepalmed. "Then why in the world do you try and use them?"

" _I thought you enjoyed my updated vocabulary, regardless of how flawed this century's manner of speech happens to be."_

I rolled my eyes, wandering back to Vanilla and Cream's home. "I like that you are not using 'thee's' and 'thou's' anymore… or at least most of the time. But look, I really don't need you mumbling something about 'the dog is in the bag' or 'lol', especially since we know that Manic can read minds now! He _knows_ about you!"

" _Ah, yes. The green warlock who can see the inner demons of the mind and soul. A useful, but rather dangerous gift."_

I rubbed my hands together, "Rin, if Sonic or anyone found out about you, I would be shipped to the nearest insane asylum. The fact that he isn't in the mood to tell on me is a _miracle_ in and of itself."

" _And Sonic would think you were insane? I would have imagined that he would think better of you, considering your… relationship, so to speak."_

I blushed slightly; of course she would bring up Sonic. "It isn't just about him this time," I muttered. Rin didn't answer, but I could practically imagine her silently laughing. I really hated her sometimes.

Having a voice in my head was _super_ annoying.

XXX

Sonic's POV:

Someone once told me that the fear of the dark was irrational. The "dark" is just some nightmareland or monster that lives in a kid's overactive imagination. It couldn't _actually_ hurt you- all it was was the absence of light, and it goes away in the daytime. Darkness is just an obscure part of life that exists. It just wasn't something to be scared of.

That used to make sense to me.

Things were different now. I didn't know what, but something was hiding out there in the forest, staying to the shadows. At first I thought it was just my eyes tricking me, or my lack of sleep was making me see things, but… I could feel it. Every now and then, I could hear the laugh from my dreams echo around me, paralyzing my every nerve; I swear I could feel the temperature drop when it was close.

Night was worse. I always tried to make myself fall asleep before sunset, but I never could- something was keeping me up. The sun's traitorous glares kept my eyes open and sleep elusive from my grasp. And when the sun finally set, my quills would stand on end as I pressed my back into a tree, searching constantly for an enemy that might not even exist.

It felt like the Devil himself had come for a visit. The fog was heavy tonight, clouding my vision; the moon was a sliver in the sky, the little light it provided hardly enough to see what was two inches from my face. The rushing wind hissed in my ear and whispered an eerie song through the leaves; dry branches scratched together, as if knocking on a door for entrance. Entrance I denied.

I sat beneath a towering oak, hugging my legs close to my chest to stay warm. My head was buried in my knees as I tried to keep my breathing steady. I was exhausted, mentally and physically, but somehow too tired to go to sleep. Nothing felt real- more like a never-ending dream than anything. But what did it matter? Nightmares haunted me whether or not I was dreaming.

"I… am going… _insane._ " I mumbled aloud to no one in particular. I wished for someone, _anyone_ , to show up and take me away from this chaos-cursed forest. Heck, if they handed me a rowboat and sent me into the raging sea, I know I'd enjoy it more than here. I wanted _out_. I'd do anything.

" _Aw… that's cute. Do you really still think you have a hope?"_

I jumped back, startled; My eyes flicked to my left only to find nothing. As usual.

That same cold laugh sounded from behind me. I whirled around and squinted as hard as I could through the foggy darkness- _Nothing._ There was never _anything._

My knees threatened to buckle under me as I slowly got to my feet, pressing my side against the tree as if it would protect me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I began to ramble under my breath, "Not real. This isn't real. You're just going crazy from being out here for so long… Nothing is wrong, you're fine. Keep it together, Sonic. Nothing is really there. Nothing is wrong. Nothing. All there is is just-"

" _Just us, Maurice. Just us."_

I flinched, careful to keep my eyes shut tight. It was just the wind. The wind and my crazy, sleep deprived imagination. _Nothing was there._ Just like the last thousand times.

" _Correction- All there is is you, Maurice. Only you. You're alone."_

Not real. _Not real._ _ **Not real.**_

That cold laugh echoed in my ears, almost as if it was right next to me. " _Oh, I assure you, I'm very much real. Just like you. Why don't you open your eyes and see?"_

Almost against my will, I slowly opened my eyes. For a moment, I thought I caught a glimpse of the monster from my dreams, my twisted mirror image. But nothing was there. I grabbed my head and shook it hard, trying to force myself back into focus. "Not real, _not real_ , _not real."_

" _Hmm… Are you sure?"_

"GO AWAY!" I shouted, gripping my skull like it was going to explode. I whirled around and accidentally fell forward, quickly picking myself up and sprinting through the pitch-black forest; I rammed my head against a tree before I even knew what I was doing or who I was running from. All I knew was I wanted- no, I _needed_ to get away. I _had_ to get away.

But the laughter followed me no matter where I ran, ringing in my ears so loudly I felt I was going deaf. In my head, I begged for the voice to stop, to disappear, to _shut up_ , but it only grew louder; every time I closed my eyes, it's face appeared, a terrifying parody of me, always laughing, laughing _laughing…_

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I cried, my voice breaking as I fell to my knees, clutching my stomach and feeling like I was going to puke.

" _You're even dumber than I thought, Maurice…"_

"... Please… No more..." I pleaded, the fight all but gone from me. I couldn't do it. I wasn't strong enough to fight it, not fast enough to run away.

" _Aw, you poor kid. I almost feel bad for you, but... You of all people should know that you can't run from yourself."_

I was somewhere between reality and nightmareland, hardly conscious as hugged myself tighter and tighter; I wished I could squeeze myself into nothing. Being nothing would feel better than this... Was I nothing? I couldn't tell. The trees, the ground, the sky… they swirled around me in a nauseating kaleidoscope of senses. What was real? What wasn't? Was anything real at all? I didn't know. I didn't know anything anymore.

No. I knew one thing.

I was screaming.

XXX

 **And… that's a wrap! That was fun. We had some romantic fluff, family fluff/angst, and slowly breaking characters. All in all, lots of fun.** _ **A bit short, but this is more of a character chapter than anything. ...Chaos, I love character chapters.**_

 **For those of you not familiar with Rin, just a reminder/a little summary. Rin is a separate person to Amy. She is trapped in a ring that Amy cannot take off her wrist.** _ **Think the Omnitrix, sans alien powers.**_ **Rin gives Amy her hammer and a few other physical enhancements- like the strength to wield it. So in short, AMY IS NOT INSANE.** _ **No schizos here, folks.**_ **If you want the full story, read Shattered Thorns.**

 **And I just found irony. Chaos, what did we do now?**

 **Hope y'all enjoyed. See ya next chapter!**

 _ **(Suggested Listening: "World War Me"- Theory of a Deadman)**_


	47. The Final Hiding Place

**Um… I am just going to remind people that this is a story that does character development. So no character is perfect and sometimes they act like idiots. Have patience in those characters. They will get fixed… eventually. Sorry, random comment right there.**

 **Reviews!**

 **StarlightSparks: I do love watching the family and friend interactions. And writing them is fun too. Your hype levels should grow a little more with this chapter (let's just hope there is room for them to grow).**

 **NeckBreak: Amy is one of my favorite characters… when SEGA does her right. Which is not often, unfortunately.** _ **Personally, I prefer her representation during the Flynn-era Archie comics.**_

 **Quantum27: *evil laughter from Era and Halo* The joys of being a writer. You get to torment people.** _ **And you don't even get arrested, mostly!**_

 **ultimateCCC: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. Don't throw the precious Chao. Cream will kill you.**

 **SharpDragonKlaw: Hi! You will just have to wait and see (yeah, that is probably going to happen eventually).**

 **Zosonils: I love your reviews. They make me happy and smile. And laugh. It is wonderful. I am so happy you love our story that much (although I have no idea what Headplate is… sorry). Halo! Our goal for the rest of the story: get Zosonils to cry! Either with joy or angst, I don't care which.**

 **Megaman07: Yeah, that would be a good idea. TAILS! COME HERE!**

 **Faso: I also love your reviews. Thanks! Rin is amazing in her own crazy way. Character inspirations come from everywhere. Books, tv shows, movies, comics, video games, whatever. For me, it is a combination of a lot of things (in fact, some of Sonia is based off of me and some of Manic is based off of Halo). I am not a huge audio person so I don't hear anyone talking. It is up to you. Who do you hear? We can do our best, but I can't promise anything. Thanks for the offer, but I'm good. Halo got excited though.**

 **Autumn: Tails needs a hug.**

 **MelGamingPlays: LOL. Halo! We need to update!**

 **Hawkfeather: I don't think Shadow would hug Sonic… but Tails does need a hug. *tilts head* Um…**

 **sonicforlife: Halo! Go get the riot shields! (just in case…)**

XXX

Sonia's POV:

Everything about this search frustrated me. If I had known Sonic was Maurice sooner, than me and Manic wouldn't have had to bother with that stupid wild goose chase- not to mention I would have had a much larger search party _much_ quicker; Knuckles, Tails, Amy, Rouge, Shadow, Manic, plus the entirety of GUN's resources and any number of criminals that owe Manic or Rouge a favor. If you want to add the media's rumors (which are usually wrong in the long run, but at least hold small gems of truth), that's at least a thousand people, plus the internet and a government database or two. All in all, an intricate system of information that would no doubt lead us to Maurice within a matter of _weeks,_ at the most.

Of course the system had flaws. For example: _this_.

"So let me get this straight," I pinched my nose, "You check this specific chilidog stand, _every day_." Knuckles nodded slowly, his eyebrow raised in question.

"Just this stand." Another nod.

"Has it ever occurred to you," I began slowly, ignoring Manic's muffled laughter, "that just because this particular stand is Mauri- _Sonic's_ favorite, that _does not mean_ it is the _only_ one in the city he'll visit?"

Behind Knuckles, Amy rolled her eyes to high heaven as Tails facepalmed. Knuckles didn't speak for a moment before giving a small, nervous chuckle, "I... _suppose_..."

I looked to my right, exasperated, "Can you _believe_ them?"

Shadow shrugged in response. I suddenly understood why he had gone off on his own to search for Sonic- These people were idiots. Tails brought out his datapad and pulled up something. "According to the media, he hasn't been spotted in Station Square since he vanished."

"So…" I made a motion towards the border of the city, "Why don't we look out there?"

"I did. He isn't around." Tails voice was void of emotion, his eyes narrowed slightly at me. For a no apparent reason, I had the feeling that this kid really, really hated me. If he ever had to talk to me, it was in short and choppy sentences and with an irritated expression. ...Come to think of it, he seemed to act the same way towards Manic. And if he knew why Tails was acting this way, he didn't bother to tell me.

"Okay…" I said. "Have you looked in other cities? If he can really travel at the speed of sound, then what makes you think he would stick around Station Square?"

Amy shifted uncomfortably, "We have. He isn't in the Mystic Ruins, Westopolis, Soleana, Green Hill, and literally every other city we can think of."

Manic facepalmed and let out a loud groan, drawing everyone's attention.

"What?" Knuckles demanded, clearly annoyed

"Okay, so I ain't trying to be judgy or anything, but you all seem to be forgetting one _very important_ thing," Manic rolled his eyes to heaven. "All yous are looking for Sonic when you oughta be looking for _Maurice_."

Amy frowned. "Um… last I checked, they're the same person."

"No they ain't," Manic shook his head slowly, crossing his arms. "Look, I've been around the block once or twice, an' I've got a pretty good idea of what's going through his head. I, uh… you all know that I ran away from home as a kid- Sonia, quit glaring at me- and yeah, I know Sonic didn't run away on purpose or anything, he was like, _driven_ from home... but that ain't the point. I ran away from home and became someone different to survive. I think you know him as 'Matthews'," he held out one hand, palm up, "and then there's 'Manic'." He held up his other hand. "Yeah, they're pretty similar people, with similar personalities, but they are _not_ the same." Manic shrugged, "Case in point, _Matthews_ is a gangster and con artist who doesn't really care about anyone but himself. He's kind of a schmuck. On the other hand, _Manic_ actually has a conscience. Like, he still steals, but only when he really needs it. And if someone tried to mess with my sister, I'd kill 'em with my bare hands."

He said it in such a normal way, he may as well have been talking about the weather.

"So… yeah," he said, leaning back. "I think that's how it's been going on with Sonic. He's still the same guy, there's just two different sides to him. Sonic and Maurice."

Amy scratched her head, "I don't think that is how this works-"

"Oh, _please_ ," Manic rolled his eyes again, "Haven't you ever had a moment in the day where something happens and for _no apparent reason,_ Sonic's personality does a one-eighty? _Especially_ if it has to do with that Robotnik idiot?"

No one moved for a moment before Knuckles raised a hand.

"Yes? You in the front? Do you have something to say to the class?" said Manic in a mock-friendly voice. Knuckles' nostrils flared and his fists tightened. Manic changed the subject very quickly, "Anyway, _that's_ Maurice. The guy who looks like Sonic, but sure as heck doesn't act like him."

Amy still looked a little skeptical, "So you're telling me that Sonic has been pretending to be someone completely different for more than ten years? I… I'm sorry, but that is _completely_ ridiculous! There is _no way_ that he could've kept up that act for this lo-"

"Amy," interrupted someone; To my surprise, it was Tails who stepped forward, "They're… They're right. He wasn't pretending. I know- I _knew_ him. You… you only see one part of him for most of the time." He turned back to Manic, his expression totally blank. "I checked everywhere I could think of, including places I know for a fact that he would never have wanted to go back to. Where we first met, where he first saved my life, the cave where we lived for about a month... He just… vanished." His expression became hard, "So, mister 'smarter than thou', if you think you know so much, then tell me: _where is he_?"

For once, Manic had nothing to say. He looked to me and gulped hard.

"Well…" he started slowly. "There's _one_ place he might go."

XXX

Two days later, we were back in the Valley of Despair (aka, our old home). Apparently, the _twelve year old_ can fly a biplane while everyone else balances on the wings and tail. Of course, there were far too many of us to all ride on it so we had to split up. Shadow and I rode our motorcycles (although why he needed one was beyond me), while Manic and Rouge took to the sky. Amy and Knuckles rode with Tails.

" _You guys lived all the way out here?"_ Tails voice buzzed in my communicator, making me wince slightly. I wasn't used to these devices and they kinda bothered me, but no one seemed to notice or care.

Manic's voice came over a little choppy on the static, " _Yeah, my family is mostly made of hermits."_

" _I think it's beautiful."_ Knuckles' voice made me perk up slightly.

" _Guys, focus. We're here to look for Sonic, not at the scenery."_ Amy reminded everyone.

I pulled my bike to a stop at the peak of the valley, overlooking the trees and the lake. Hesitantly, I reached up and pressed the speaker, "Manic and I were here right before you say Sonic vanished."

Another bike braked beside me. I looked over at Shadow, who spoke next. I winced as his voice came from the com and beside me. My ears...

"I did not see him when I was investigating the area."

Tails groaned loudly, " _Well then, I guess we'll need to split up."_

"Miles, drop Amy and Knuckles off on the South side of the Valley." Again, I flinched at the sensation of the com buzzing in my ear and the same voice coming from my right. I reached up and yanked the unit out of my ear as Shadow continued. "Then head to the West side and begin your own search. Rouge and Manic, to the East. Sonia and I will take the North. Everyone head towards the lake. If you find Sonic, send coordinates _immediately_."

He paused, probably receiving confirmation, before speaking again, "Just do it, Rouge-You are a professional-No, you cannot switch partners with Amy-Rouge, quit complaining or _I_ will be your partner." He signed off in a huff.

"The road splits in about a mile," I said, pointing to a long, winding trail. "One leads further south the other leads to the lake. Maurice never liked water, so I would assume-"

"He would head south." Shadow interrupted.

"So heading towards the lake is rather counterproductive."

"Perhaps, but I would prefer to scour the valley before heading further south. Sonic would have no reason to be there."

"Except that no one would notice or care about him there. If he really wanted to be left alone, that would've been his best option," I pointed out carefully.

Shadow nodded slowly, "That is also true, but," he frowned, "The Chaos energy is higher in this valley for a reason that I cannot identify."

"Really?" I tried to focus my mind, but felt nothing strange. Then again, I had never tried to do that before so maybe I was doing it incorrectly. Or I couldn't do it at all. "How can you tell?"

Shadow gave me a look that I decided was meant to be, 'Don't question me,' but I decided to clarify. "I mean, how does it feel? Can you like, _see_ it or is it just a sixth sense?"

Shadow's glare softened… maybe. I really couldn't tell. "I am the Ultimate Lifeform. I know."

Okay, that did not clear up anything, but I suppose I would have to live with it. "So, the Valley it is?"

A nod was my only response before the hedgehog started up his bike again, speeding down the road. I rolled my eyes, mumbling under my breath, "Don't worry, I'll be right behind you," I gunned the engine and raced after him.

XXX

An hour later we dismounted at the lake. Neither of could find any sign of Sonic. Shadow was now trying to 'scan' the valley for any large concentrations of Chaos Energy. Apparently, my brother was full of it.

Of course, it did not help the situation that the biplane in the area actually ran on Chaos Energy, and that there was a cave nearby that had housed this energy, plus five people in our search party possessed some of this energy as well. So I remained quiet as Shadow stood, eyes closed, with a frown. I suspected almost 30 minutes passed before he opened his eyes again.

"Something is interfering."

I resisted the urge to glare at him. "You said that would happen."

"This is different."

I motioned for him to elaborate on what he meant, but he seemed as confused as I was.

"It is... difficult to describe. It is like a wall is blocking me from his location. However, I know he is close."

"Lovely..." I grumbled. "Why can't Chaos Energy work for us for once?"

Shadow didn't answer, instead turning towards the trees and calling for an update through the communications. I decided to keep my earpiece out and waited for Shadow himself to give me the news.

"Rouge and your brother are half done with their sweep. Amy and Knuckles are almost here. Miles is not responding."

I raised an eyebrow at the last one, "Um… Why not?"

"He may be busy. Or angry."

"Why would he be angry?"

Shadow looked at me. "Why would he not be?"

I had the feeling I was missing something. Something very big and something that was right in front of my face. But for the life of me, I couldn't figure it out. "You tell me."

He sighed. "How much do you know about Maurice's… other life?"

I shrugged, "He's apparently a hero to the world and a cocky, egotistical attention hog, according to the tabloids."

"I meant, about his relationships?" Shadow motioned towards the distant blobs in the sky that had to be Manic and Rouge.

"Um…" I frowned and thought for a moment, "I think Amy likes my brother, he and Knuckles seems to be on good terms… um… I really can't tell with you and Rouge... and Tails is his best friend?" I really had no idea.

Shadow nodded slowly, "That was mostly correct. Miles Prower is Sonic's best friend, but he is also his adopted brother."

I felt my blood freeze and my mouth dropped open. Sonic adopted a _kid?_ But he wasn't any older than I was! Was that even legal? But as I thought more about it, the more sense it made. It would explain why Tails seemed to hate me and Manic for no apparent reason. Did he even know we existed before now? Based on his reaction to the news, it was probably safe to assume that he did not. Oh Chaos, this was…

Actually, what was it?

I frowned slightly trying to place my feelings. I was surprised and shocked. That was easy enough. But the rest of my emotions were in turmoil. I wasn't happy about the situation, but I wasn't angry about it either. It was somewhere in the middle of the two, if that was even possible. Of course, it wasn't like I could say no to something like Maurice adopting someone as a brother, as it already happened. But I didn't think I would want him to say no either. But at the same time, it was _weird_ to think that Maurice had a whole other family that I didn't even know about. It almost felt like I had been… replaced.

Shadow turned back to his bike, pulling something out of the side bag. It was small and red and appeared to be glowing slightly. When he turned around, all thoughts of family drama were pushed out of the front of my mind.

"What is that?" I questioned quickly.

Shadow raised an eyebrow, "A Chaos emerald."

"Where did you get it?"

"Knuckles."

"Where did he get it?"

"Angel Island."

Okay, so I was officially confused. "I found one."

That seemed to catch Shadow's undivided attention. "Where?"

I pointed to the waterfall, "Over there. In the cave behind the waterfall."

Shadow turned to me, his voice hard and serious. "Where is this emerald now?"

I shrugged, "Beats me. Manic hid it somewhere because it was creeping him out or something." I had been unable to convince Manic to give be back the black emerald. Nothing would sway him, to my annoyance. I tilted my head slightly sideways, thinking about how it came into our possession, "It was black-"

" _Come again?"_

"It was black. The emerald was black." I repeated. Shadow stared at me, his expression unreadable. However, I thought his eyes looked surprised, if not slightly horrified. He cursed, activating his comlink.

"Manic, where is the emerald you found with your sister?" A beat. "Rouge, get the information out of him or I will." He signed off, spun around and began to walk towards the cave. I hesitated before running to catch up.

"What's so important about the emerald we found?" I asked, slightly out of breath. Shadow didn't answer.

"Oh, so you're just gonna ignore me now?" Still no answer.

I glared. "I saw you in a vision of mine. Twice."

At least he looked at me this time. I continued, "We were talking in one of them. The other one was you in a hospital bed."

"I have been to the hospital before." He continued walking.

" _Okay,_ but have you ever been on life support before?"

Shadow stopped in his tracks. He turned around and stared at me again. Staring into people's souls must be his only way of showing emotion, because his eyes were filled with surprise. "...No."

I frowned, "So it wasn't in the past or present, which means-" I cut myself off.

He let out a soft sigh, "The future is moving constantly. Keep an open mind on the outcomes of your own actions."

"But my visions have never been wrong… so far."

"First time for everything."

Before I could respond, Shadow tensed up slightly. He held up a hand to stop me from speaking, his head slightly tilted; he was focusing on what was coming from his communicator, and whatever was being said was obviously important. He nodded slightly to himself, then pressed the button to speak. "Everyone converge on Miles's position, and be careful- We have no idea what kind of condition he is in."

XXX

Manic's POV:

Usually, I'd be pretty dang thrilled to be partnered up with Rouge for a thing like this. But let's just say that things have been a _little_ awkward between us since I gave her the locket.

I knew she liked it. I caught her off guard that day, and for a short while, her normally indestructible mental walls had gone down. I knew for a fact now that I was off the hook for standing her up. On the downside, I also knew that she was definitely not in the mood for dating me anytime soon, and was getting pretty sick of me acting like a creep. So I decided to back off.

As much as I hated to admit it… Sonia was right. I'd been obsessed. No wonder she'd been avoiding me- _I'd_ have avoided me. Anyone with an ounce of common sense would've done the same.

Okay, Matthews, enough with the self pity.

" _As our hero, the world-renowned studmuffin Manic the Hedgehog soared through the air on his slightly malfunctioning Extreme Gear board, he expertly scanned over the landscape of his first home, searching in desperation for his long-lost brother. The months of frenzied exploration were at last coming to a close, and-"_

"Who are you talking to?" said Rouge as she flew up next to me, interrupting my inner narration. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks; I hadn't realized that I'd been monologuing out loud.

"Oh, um… That's, uh… that's just my narration," I rambled.

She looked confused. "Your _what_ now?"

"Narration. Me telling the story of my life to myself. It's fun, you should try it sometime."

Rouge raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical. "I'll let you keep your weird habits to yourself, thanks." She smirked and flapped her wings, shooting ahead of me.

I frowned; that was mean. Usually when Rouge said stuff like that to me, it was because I started it. Gritting my teeth, I pushed forward on my board and caught up to her. She cast a cursory glance in my direction and rolled her eyes, but otherwise didn't react. Typical.

"Hey," I said firmly. "What's your problem?"

Rouge looked at me like I was something she had scraped off the bottom of her shoe. "Like you don't know."

"Enlighten me."

She rolled her eyes again. " _You._ You're my problem. It's like you can't even open your mouth without reminding me how annoying you are."

Okay, _again_ with the unsolicited saltiness. This was getting old. "Look, I'm trying to be nice, but if you _really_ can't handle being around me, feel free to go team up with Tails. Pretty sure that he's partnerless, and I'm positive that you'd watch your mouth around _him_ , at least."

Rouge looked slightly taken aback by this, but quickly bounced back. "I would if I could, Matthews, but at the moment, he's kind of in a mood and I'd rather not get on his bad side."

"Oh, _come on,_ Rouge, he's _twelve._ He's not even old enough for his voice to change yet. How bad could he be?"

"Are you kidding?" she asked incredulously. "The only reason that GUN hasn't recruited that kid as head of the engineering department is because he's underage. The stuff he invents can outmatch _Robotnik's_ tech. I'm not stupid enough to take any chances with him, _especially_ considering the state he's been in since his brother took off."

That part confused me. "What brother?"

Rouge facepalmed, groaning loudly. "Just how thick are you, Matthews?"

"Scuse me if I don't know everything about everyone, Princess Super Spy! Since when does Tails have a brother?"

" _Who do you think we're looking for?"_

" _My_ brother!"

"Yes. Who also happens to be _Tails's_ brother."

Wait, back up a second. "Rouge, no offense, but I think I'd know if I had a sibling who was an _entirely different species_. Besides, both of my parents were hedgehogs."

"Adopted! He's _adopted_ , you idiot!" she burst out, clearly at her wits end.

"Oh," I said, feeling pretty stupid for a moment. Then it hit me. "Wait, _what?_ Sonic ain't any older than I am! There's no way he could've adopted him, that's illegal! And how do you adopt someone as your _brother_ anyway?"

"It's complicated. All I know is that GUN pulled some legal strings to keep those two on their side, and it worked."

Of course GUN has some twisted way to keep people working for them. Wouldn't expect anything less from the feds. "So, wait…" I started, still thinking hard on this. "If Tails is Sonic's brother, and Sonic is _my_ brother… wouldn't that mean me and Tails are bros now?"

Rouge sighed. "Sure, Matthews. Whatever you say."

I grimaced; I hardly knew that kid, and it was pretty dang clear that he hated my guts. Dunno what his problem was. Whatever. Point was, he sure as heck wasn't my brother, no matter what the legal papers say about him and Maurice.

See, in my book, being family is something you gotta _earn_. Sonia practically moved mountains to find me, even after I ran away and left her alone for all those years. Even after she found out about all the seriously illegal stuff I'd been doing, she still forgave me. _That_ was family.

And as far as I was concerned, Sonia was all the family I had left.

Uncle Chuck was nothing to me. I could care less that we were related, that geezer was nothing but a bitter old scumbucket who didn't care about me or Sonia, only if we were in a good hiding spot from that Robotnik guy. Dead to me, that's what he was. And Maurice? It had been more than eleven years since I last saw him. People change. I didn't know anything about him and I wasn't ready to commit to _anything_ at the moment, and that included whether or not I considered him family yet. Tails was just a kid who my long-lost brother apparently got along with really well with Sonic. At this point, he meant pretty much nothing to me. Not hating- just stating.

Not to say that I didn't like him; if he didn't obviously hate me, I think we'd get along. Besides, I wanted to know how he coded some of those machines. And I think Sonia mentioned him being into Space Truck, so he's automatically cool. Plus, the kid can fly a _biplane._ That's just awesome.

"Well, I don't know about you" began Rouge, her tone cold. "But I feel like getting some actual progress done. I vote we split up to cover more ground."

"I can live with that," I said, trying to act as casual as possible.

"Good. You take the west and north, and I'll-" A beep from both mine and Rouge's communicator cut her off mid-sentence.

" _Manic,"_ said Shadow over the comlink. " _Where is the emerald you found with your sister?_ "

Busted.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said casually, deciding to play it cool for now.

" _Rouge, get the information out of him or_ I _will."_

Crap.

"...Will do, Stripey," Rouge replied. She switched off her communicator and turned to me, a sly, greedy gleam in her eye.

" _So,"_ she hissed, sidling up closer to me. Okay, I was officially freaked.

"So… what?" I asked.

"When were you planning on telling me about the gem?"

"Eh… about six months from never."

"Well, you're gonna have to speed things up a bit, won't you, Maniac?" she whispered, barely audible and still creeping in closer. Oh geez. I was in trouble.

"I don't have it on me, Rouge." I said firmly, beginning to descend from the air. If she tried to push me off my Extreme Gear to get an answer out of me, I was pretty much dead. Heck, not even pretty much dead- I was _all the way_ dead. We were like fifty feet off ground, and those trees didn't look like a very comfortable place to land.

"I'll buy that," she replied, that shrewd, devious tone never faltering. I declined my board down steadily faster, dodging trees left and right. Somewhere in there, my comlink fell out, but I was too terrified to care. "But you'll tell me where you're keeping it… won't you?"

I hit the ground with a thud and slipped off my board, landing on my back. I barely had time to get up before Rouge had swooped down next to me. I was seriously afraid now. I've seen my share of nature documentaries, and there was no mistaking the look in Rouge's eye; this was a predator going after her prey.

"The way I see it…" said Rouge slowly, obviously savoring every moment. "Is that _you_ are trying to keep me away from something that would otherwise be mine for the keeping. And you know better than that, now, don't you?"

"It's dangerous," I argued back. "That thing's magic or something, it creeps me out."

"Magic, huh? So it's valuable," she said, her hungry grin creeping higher on her face.

"Rouge," I said, digging my nails into the tree trunk to keep myself from falling over; my injured hand stung painfully, but I ignored it. "You're _seriously_ weirding me out right now."

"I'll stop if you tell me where the gem is."

"Fat chance."

"Have it your way, then," she said, cracking her knuckles. I readied myself to make a run for it when suddenly, Rouge's communicator beeped.

She groaned loudly, clearly annoyed, but still answered the message. "I'm kinda in the middle of something, Shado- you're serious? Where?... Right. We'll be there soon." As she signed off, I noticed how drastically the look on her face had changed.

"...What happened?" I asked tentatively. Rouge took a deep breath, and for the first time today, her expression was totally neutral. Serious, even.

"Tails found Sonic."

XXX

 **AND NOW…** _ **THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR…**_

 ***fades to black* (Now I feel like the Star Wars Theme should start playing).**


	48. Darkness Consumes

Tails' POV:

I knew I was overreacting. I mean, I get it: Sonic didn't want to talk about his dead family. Obviously, it was painful for him and, if we're being honest here, he probably didn't want me to be scared that the same thing could happen to me. Even considering the fact that I'd been kidnapped and tortured and nearly killed who knows how many times, I guess I can see why he wouldn't want me to live in fear that Robotnik could sneak up on us and I wouldn't make it out of the fight.

But at the same time, I still felt angry that he hadn't brought it up. I mean, come on, if you had someone who loved you more than anyone you were _actually related to_ , and you found out they practically lied to you about their entire life- well, how would you react? Immediately forgive them and move on in life without looking back? News flash: that isn't how reality works.

Those thoughts, among others, were the ones running through my head as I slowly approached Sonic.

He looked… horrible, to tell you the truth. There was no other way of saying it. He had bags under his eyes and his fur was filthy, matted with dried mud and dirt. His shoes looked more worn in than I had ever seen, like he hadn't stopped running for weeks. His eyes were closed and his brow was furrowed; he was leaning against a tree, seemingly asleep but sharply twitching every now and then.

I hesitated. Should I wake him? Or just let him sleep? Or… what? In frustration, I let out a heavy sigh.

Sonic sprang to his feet and almost rammed his head into the tree before his eyes had even flown open, shakily holding up his fists as though ready for a fight. I was so startled I jumped back a few paces, nearly falling over. "Scrap! Sonic! Don't do that!"

He looked over at me, his eyes wide with terror and confusion. At first, he looked as though he didn't even recognize me, but as the realization slowly crept back into his eyes, so did the trace of fear. "T-tails?" he started, sounding unsure. "Is that you?"

Somehow, I managed to smile. Even though I was still mad at him… Chaos, it was good to see him again. "No, dummy, I'm a figment of your imagination," I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Of course it's me! Who else?"

Sonic didn't return the smile. He tilted his head skeptically, his eyes narrowing. He still looked confused. Very, very slowly, he crept forward closer to me before reaching out and sharply poking my arm. He sprung back just as quick, now in complete shock. "You're… you're real."

"Um… yeah. I'm real. I already told you." I responded tentatively. "...Are you okay?"

"How did you find me?"

 _That_ was the first thing he thought to say after over two months? I tapped my foot impatiently, crossing my arms. "That's not important right now, Sonic. I think I would know how to find my own brother..." My voice died for a moment. "Or at least... I thought I would."

Sonic looked slightly confused again, and I thought I saw a flash of pain in his eyes. "...Tails? What's wrong?"

Suddenly, the anger I had been battling with rushed forward; I clenched my fists and stared determinedly at the ground. "Why didn't you tell me, _Maurice?_ "

Sonic flinched, recovering too late. "Look, Tails, I… I'm sorry I've been gone for so long, I swear I didn't mean to. I got lost in this stupid forest, and I think I'm starting to lose my mind-"

"Not about you disappearing!" I snapped, cutting him off. "About _them!_ "

"...What're you talking about?" said Sonic, tilting his head slightly.

"About…" I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the typhoon of problems I was about to unleash. "Sonia and Manic."

Any color in his face immediately drained and he physically recoiled, looking as if he had been slapped. "Where… where did you hear those names?"

"You aren't answering my question." I folded my arms and glared, biting down on my lower lip. "Why didn't you tell me about them?"

"I… I…" he faltered, somehow out of breath and struggling to speak. "Tails, you gotta understand, I… I just… I didn't know how to say it." he stammered, burying his face in his hands. "I-I didn't know what you would think-"

"Sonic, you _lied_ to me!"

"No, I didn't!" he protested, looking like he was about to have a panic attack. "I never said I didn't have a family before, did I?"

"But you didn't _tell_ me!" I threw my hands in the air, turning away. "Sonic, what am I?"

"...What do you mean?"

"I _mean,_ what am I to you? A-am I just some way to cope with your grief?" I demanded. "A _replacement_ for what you lost all those years ago?" My voice broke, "Was I ever really your brother?"

"Tails… Miles, how could you even ask that?" Sonic reached out to me, but I jerked away.

" _Don't touch me!"_

XXX

Sonic's POV:

I stared at Tails, his words stinging with more with each syllable. I had no idea how he found out about my siblings, but at the moment… did it really matter? I had to fix this, and fast- before I lost even more family.

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. "Miles, I-"

" _I wouldn't if I were you."_

My eyes flickered to the space behind Tails and I immediately recoiled. This… this was _impossible_. He couldn't be here… he couldn't. He'd never left my dreams before.

Tails frowned, looking confused, "What?"

I shook my head, rubbing my eyes. Okay, I had to be dreaming. This had to be a horrible nightmare. There was no way _he_ could be here. _It wasn't possible._

" _Oh, Maurice,"_ I watched as the other me, my dark, twisted mirror image stepped forward from the darkness, " _I'm you. Of course I'm here."_

Well, this day just went from horrible to nightmareland. "You… you can't be here. You _can't_ be!"

Tails raised an eyebrow, "Sonic, we've already established that I'm real. I'll tell you how I found you later, okay?"

I shook my head, "Not you. _Him!_ " I pointed at… me? Myself? Let's just say creepy Sonic.

Tails turned around, looked straight at creepy Sonic, then turned back to me. "Sonic, there's nobody there."

My blood froze and I almost had a heart attack. "Are… are you sure?"

"Sonic," Tails folded his arms, "Are you trying to change the subject?"

"No!"

Creepy Me smiled, taking a few steps forward, " _Aww… look what you did now. Our brother doesn't trust us anymore. Shame on you."_

"He's not your brother!" I snapped back, stepping back as Creepy Me passed by Tails, inching closer and closer.

"I _know_ that! Quit trying to change the subject already!" Tails shouted, stamping his foot on the ground. He looked close to tears. I wished I could reach out and comfort him, but I was too busy panicking.

"I'm not!" I protested, still backing away from Creepy Me. "M-miles... I think… I think I'm going crazy."

The fox blinked at me a few times, his face blank. " _That's_ your excuse to get out of this conversation? Pleading insanity?"

" _This is exactly why we shouldn't see him right now."_ Creepy gave me an almost sad smile, " _We aren't ready yet."_

"Ready for what?" I mumbled.

" _Nothing you need to concern yourself with. I'll just have to speed up the timetable."_

"Sonic?" My attention snapped back to Tails, who now looked genuinely concerned, "Are… are you okay?"

" _Still hiding from our past, trying to keep our life together."_ Creepy Me rolled his eyes _, "Pathetic. We've left everything behind, Maurice..."_

"Shut up." I said with gritted teeth, my knuckles closing themselves into fists almost against my will.

" _...Everyone behind. No one trusts us anymore. We lied to them about everything."_

"Shut up!"

Creepy Me got closer, his grin growing wider, " _We've done_ nothing _but hurt everyone around us. You know that. And it's just gonna keep happening until you grow up and accept it:_ _ **You are the problem**_ _."_

"Shut _**up!**_ " I shouted at the top of my lungs, jumping forward to slap Creepy Me. I wasn't sure what I expected, but just before I hit him, he vanished in a puff of smoke.

I still hit something.

Tails let out a cry of pain as he flew back to the ground, skidding across the grass and banging up against a tree trunk. I froze where I stood. My brother, _my little brother_ , the one who'd been by my side since we were kids, looked at me like I was the monster from my nightmares, his hand on his cheek where I had slapped him.

I heard someone scream out in horror then Amy ran into the clearing, shortly followed by Knuckles. The echidna was yelling something at me that I wasn't listening to while Amy was hurriedly checking Tails over for injuries. They were shortly followed by two other hedgehogs I didn't recognize, but didn't really care much about at the moment. I thought I also saw Rouge and Shadow show up, but I was already turning my back to run deeper in the forest. I hurt him. _I hurt him_.

My ears felt blocked and my vision was beginning to go cross-eyed again. It felt like I was drowning, even though there was no water in sight. I looked down at my shaking hands, failing to steady them, still in shock of what I just did.

" _We'll just keep hurting them, you know."_

No. This wasn't me. There had to be an explanation. There _had_ to be.

But I was so tired. My body felt like lead, weighing me down and refusing to let me move; I screamed in my head, but it was like time was frozen. Nothing was real anymore. This was a horrible nightmare and I didn't like it.

I wanted it to go away.

I wanted _everything_ to go away.

Something inside snapped; I could almost see Creepy Me's maniac grin. " _Careful what you wish for, Maurice."_

I blacked out.

XXX

Shadow's POV:

A single glance was all it took for my blood to run cold. I instantly wanted to reject the image, to forget it, but my eyes weren't lying to me. Miles was on the ground, Amy still checking him. Sonia and Manic scared and confused, trying to speak to Sonic, who was staring off into the distance, his back to us. Knuckles' voice was the loudest, demanding to know what had come over the hedgehog to slap his own brother.

I stood in shock, listening to the cold foreboding wind. Then Maurice dropped to the ground like a rock. Sonia rushed forward to check him.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" My voice rang out hard and sharp, halting the girl's hand only inches from his skin. She turned towards me, her expression demanding an explanation.

I hurried forward and pulled her away from Sonic, " _Nobody_ touch him," I repeated, my voice much more quiet.

Everyone's eyes were locked on me to my annoyance, but I did not acknowledge it. My eyes were trained on Sonic- more importantly, the Chaos energy surrounding him.

It was bad. Very bad.

"Knuckles take everyone back to the Tornado and start flying north. Do not stop until you get to GUN headquarters." I took a step forward, reaching my hand outward and focusing on the energy. I estimated we only had minutes before the negative energy would reach its peak.

Knuckles looked confused, "What in the world are you talking about?" He was too confused or blind to see the truth in front of him. Wonderful.

I chose to ignore him. "Rouge, tell the General we have a Code C8-14."

She frowned, "I have no idea what that means."

"You are not supposed to."

Miles was now getting to his feet, still trembling, his initial shock turning into panic. "W-what's going on? Amy, get off me, I'm fine! Shadow! Kn-knuckles! What's wrong with-"

At that moment, Sonic started to convulse. His breathing became heavy and labored and he started to cough violently, as if trying to get something toxic out of his system. This time I raised a force field of energy to prevent everyone from rushing forward. "What part of _nobody touch him_ do you not understand?" I hissed.

Sonia whirled around, her anger apparent. "Shadow, what in _Chaos_ is going on? Let us through _right now,_ he's sick! Can't you see it?"

I refused to look her in the eye, "You need to leave. _Now_. This is not a request."

She opened her mouth to protest, but her voice seemed to die off on its own. I motioned to Knuckles, who took her gently by the wrist and began to pull her away, mumbling something under his breath that seemed to calm her down.

There was no time to explain, but everyone would be at risk if they did not know. A condensed version would have to suffice.

I turned to Miles, "Do not do something stupid. That- _thing_ is not your brother anymore."

He looked like he was about to say something, but I cut him off. "Knuckles," The Guardian looked over, slightly confused.

"Tikal should help."

"... _What?"_

Manic threw his hands in the air, "Will someone _please_ tell me what the heck is going on?"

I turned to him, ready to growl a threat, but it died in my throat. I mentally began to curse my own stupidity. Sonic had stopped convulsing, but was now mumbling to himself and twitching hard. The clock was running short and I had no time to explain. I looked Manic in the eye, "Brace yourself. You are next."

Amy looked ready to pull out her hammer to try and hit me. "I don't know if you noticed, _Shadow_ , but Sonic is passed out and I think he just had some kind of seizure-"

"Amy, for once, _do not_ be blinded by your heart." I glared at everyone. "Now leave."

"What about Sonic?" Tails demanded.

"I will handle him. Worry about yourselves." I summoned a chaos spear and threw it in the general direction of the group, causing them all to jump back a few feet. Rouge and Sonia simultaneously cursed at me, but I ignored them. "Now _move!_ "

Most of them ran, no matter how upset they seemed about it. Knuckles was the only one who remained. "Shadow, you haven't been making any sense. What's going on?"

"No time." I turned my back to him, focusing completely on Sonic. "Join the others. I will... deal with Sonic."

"Deal with…?" Knuckles questioned died in his throat.

I did not need to ask why. Sonic's fur had transformed from his usual bright blue to almost black in a matter of seconds. I summoned two Chaos spears, holding each in my hands. I chanced a look back at Knuckles.

"Run."

The Guardian hesitated, but nodded quickly, sprinting into the forest and leaving me alone with death itself.

XXX

The sounds of the forest whistled softly in my ears. I stood ready, tense to the bone. Sonic had not moved since Knuckles had left and no sound had been emitted either. However, his fur was almost glowing black at this point and the Chaos energy was off the chart.

Suddenly, Sonic bolted upright, slowly opening his eyes. They had darkened in color, but something else was... off. He extended his arms and flexed his fingers, examining them curiously. "Hmm… I'd forgotten how hands felt."

Alarms immediately sounded in my head.

The hedgehog sprung up, much quicker than I had expected. His movements were jerky and mechanical at first; He jogged in place for a second, stretching out his legs. "Oh yes... this'll do quite nicely." His voice sounded like Sonic's, but there was an eerie ring to it, as if he was laughing at a joke that no one else understood. He whipped around suddenly to face me, a small smile appearing on his face, "Oh! What do we have here?"

My suspicions proved to be accurate; This was not Sonic. "Who are you?" I asked bluntly, digging my heels into the ground for support.

'Sonic' walked towards me, swaying with each step, looking almost playful. "I should ask you the same thing…" He stopped, studying my closely. "Your Aura is strong. Very strong." The grin widened, "I will enjoy infecting it."

I did not like the sound of that. The hedgehog turned away from me again, but I kept my eyes glued on him. "Infecting it? Is that what you are- a virus?"

He spun around once then stopped abruptly, pointing at me, "Ah! Now there's the question!" He took a few steps closer, "I'm known by many names. Of course, most of them have faded from time and history. A shame, really. But you may call me…" A pause and grin, " _Dark_."

My eyes narrowed, "Were you inside Sonic this entire time?"

Dark smiled, sending a chill down my spine. "Of course not, you silly boy."

I gritted my teeth, "Then where did you come from?"

"That…" he swung his head to the side, cocking it like a rag-doll, "Is a secret. A secret you'll never have the chance to find out."

"Then you know nothing about me." I tensed slightly, sensing this creature was almost through talking.

"I know enough…" Dark smiled, his eyes flashing green for a brief second, "Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform." His smile faded, "I heard you…"

My eyes narrowed and I took a slight step back. "You heard me?"

"A long time ago… your pain… your sorrow… your _hatred…_ " Dark smirked, walking closer to me, "I heard you scream as _she_ fell… when she _died_ for you..."

My blood went cold. Did he just…? No. It simply wasn't possible.

"What was her name?" Dark pondered, pretending to think before turning to me with the crazed look of a maniac, "Hmm, maybe… _Maria?"_

I threw the Chaos spear as hard as I could.

Dark easily side-stepped it, laughing. "Aww… did I hit a sore spot?"

 _Yes._

I summoned another spear, holding it at the ready. Dark crouched down in a fighting stance, his grin widening. "Now _this_ is an interesting twist- The Ultimate Lifeform versus me! Who will win?" The grin suddenly faded as the voice turned into a snarl. " _Me."_

Dark suddenly lunged forward in a spindash, hitting me in the stomach. I fell back on the ground, throwing the hedgehog behind me before rolling back to a standing position. I held my fists up, ready to destroy him at a moment's notice, but found nothing there.

Something zipped behind me. I whirled around just in time to see the dark blur come to an abrupt halt. I took a chance to throw some Chaos spears, but he easily avoided them, laughing like this was some game of his. It infuriated me, but his voice, his energy… it unnerved me. Threw me off balance.

"What's the matter, Ultimate Lifeform?" he taunted, now perched above me on a tree branch. "Can't keep up?"

He moved fast. Almost faster than Sonic himself, and definitely faster than me. I guessed this was due to his extremely high levels of Chaotic energy, no matter how negative it was. I managed to skim him a few times with my chaos spears, but every time I had a near miss, he landed a direct hit. And he was not pulling his punches.

"You shouldn't be playing with such big kids, little boy!" Dark jeered, kicking me in the back of the head and sending me flying face-first into a tree trunk. "You might get hurt!"

I gritted my teeth in fury; this _thing_ was getting on my nerves. I wrestled my head out of the crevice of the tree trunk and aimed my spear expertly at Dark's back. To my pleasure, it struck him, knocking him forward and giving me a chance to recover. I did not have long, though; Dark seemed to heal much quicker than the average opponent, almost supernaturally.

"Aw, now look what you did," he crooned, his dangerously amiable tone only growing more ominous. "You made me mad. Big mistake, Ultimate Lifeform." He cracked his knuckles and grinned, "Now I have to punish you." His voice went dark, "Severely."

I braced myself for whatever was about to happen. And for the first time since the ARK, I prayed.

XXX

Amy's POV:

When Shadow tells you to let him deal with a problem, it's a pretty safe bet to listen to him. He usually had a point about these things. And when he starts throwing _chaos spears_ at the people who are _supposed_ to be his friends- or at the very least allies- you can assume he means business.

That didn't make me any happier to be abandoning him and Sonic… _especially_ Sonic. I didn't know what was wrong with him or why in the world he hit Tails, but something was going on. Was he sick? _Dying?_ And why was Shadow so afraid of him now?

To add on top of the strange factor, Sonia was staring at the horizon like it was the most terrifying thing she had ever seen. Rouge was trying to act like she was above it all, but I could tell that she was worried. Manic was still shaking from when Shadow had thrown that spear at us- I didn't know what exactly his problem was, but he seemed more apprehensive of Shadow than he really should be. Or maybe he's just the right amount of apprehensive and I should take him a bit more seriously. Either or.

Tails was arguing with Knuckles about going back and for some reason, Knuckles was agreeing with Shadow- we should stay away. I honestly didn't know how I felt. On one hand, I wanted to go back and help Sonic, but on the other… I didn't know if I _could_ help him. Whatever was going on, it was serious.

" _Perhaps Shadow plans to perform his brand of sorcery on Sonic, as to revive him to his ordinary state of mind,"_ suggested Rin in the back of my mind. I almost began to answer her, but quickly remembered that I wasn't alone and starting a conversation with myself would look awfully strange.

"I'm telling you, something's wrong!" Tails protested desperately, interrupting my train of thought. "Sonic would never… h-he'd never… _clearly_ he's not… w-we've gotta help him!"

"Tails…" started Knuckles sadly. "There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry."

I scowled, crossing my arms. "If there's nothing we can do, then _what's wrong?_ There's something you're not telling us!"

"Look Amy, I don't know about you, but I _trust_ Shadow when it comes to stuff like this," huffed Knuckles, his tone hard. "And it's not just _his_ judgement I'm counting on, either. I was sensing some seriously negative energy back there. Shadow's right- Whoever that… _person_ was, they're not Sonic anymore."

The biplane suddenly took a hard swerve, throwing us all off balance. Manic almost fell out of the plane, but Sonia caught him just in time.

" _Tails!"_ she shouted. "What was _that_ for?"

Tails was shaking, looking on the verge of tears; I suddenly felt a twinge of annoyance towards Sonia. "Hey, give him a break! You're not the only one going through this, you know!"

Sonia glared, "Does it _look_ like I give a-"

Knuckles interrupted her mid-sentence, a twinge of exasperation in his voice. "Do either of you _really_ think this is a good time to pick a fight?"

Inside, I agreed; that didn't stop me from staring daggers at her, and her at me. I was beginning to understand why Rouge had such a problem with her.

Suddenly, Sonia stiffened. "Rouge, get out of the plane and dive left! _Now!_ "

"Excuse me?" Rouge glared, her fury clear and fierce. "Since when do _you_ give me orders, Princess?"

"Just _do it._ " The two had a short staring contest before Rouge huffed in compliance.

"...Fine. But there better be one heckuva good reason." I raised an eyebrow as Rouge vanished into the clouds. It wasn't like her to just do what she was told… then again, Sonia _was_ apparently a psychic. Maybe she was seeing something we weren't.

" _I have learned that those who dabble in the mystic arts often receive revelation from beyond this world,"_ Rin mentioned. " _At least, for the price of their immortal soul."_

Well, thanks for that, Rin. Very useful to the situation.

" _Thank you."_

Apparently, Rin still didn't understand sarcasm. I was about to give her another mental lesson on modern speaking habits when a loud, sharp scream rang out from somewhere in the sky. Instinctively, I jerked my head towards where the scream had come from and looked down. At first, all I was able to see was clouds. Then a silhouette began to form. Rouge was flying up, her whole body shaking and her face pale. Cradled in her arms was… _oh Chaos_.

Manic cursed. Knuckles made a sound that seemed to be a cross of a growl and a shout. Tails lost control for a split second, making the plane shake again. Only Sonia didn't appear surprised, putting her face in her hands and began to silently sob.

There was truly no way to describe my horror as Rouge arrived with Shadow. In all my years fighting alongside Team Dark, I'd never seen him in such a state. Long, deep cuts were scraped along his chest and limbs like tiger stripes, oozing foul-smelling substances that I didn't care to know the name of. His face was a mess of brown and purple bruises, including several dangerous-looking lumps on his forehead. I expected to wake up, to moan, to give us some sign that he was still alive, but… nothing. For the first time in my memory, Shadow was beaten. _Really_ beaten.

Whoever did this to him… they weren't kidding around. I reached under my seat for the medical kit before rushing forward from the cockpit. Rouge to laid him down on the plane, as I tried to recall every medical know how I had ever learned in my life.

Behind me, Manic was cursing under his breath, but no one else made any noise. Rouge opened the Tornado's medical kit and pulled out as much gauze as she could find. Compared to the injuries, it was a pitiful amount. I checked Shadow's heartbeat and breathing. They were both slow and trembling.

Oh Chaos. Oooh, Chaos. I didn't know what to do. Rin wasn't helping as she began to speculate what happened to the hedgehog from attacks by dragons to possession by demons. My hands trembled and I was starting to hyperventilate. Rouge didn't look much better, her face pale and ghostly.

Knuckles broke the silence, his voice almost broken, "Is… is he… still… well, _alive_?"

I nodded, unable to speak.

"What…" Tails voice trembled as he tried to force the question out, "What in Chaos _happened_ to him?"

I was about to press gauze against one of the many cuts on his chest when Shadow's hand suddenly flew up and snatched my wrist, his iron grip nearly cutting off my circulation. I managed to not scream, but only barely. Terrified of what I might see, looked up to his face. Shadow's eyes were open, but only barely. He blinked once before speaking; it was only one word, but he struggled to say even that.

" _Dark."_

It was all he could manage before his strength finally gave out and his eyes rolled back into his head. I didn't know it, but that word would haunt me for a long time afterwards. It would pop into my head as we arrived at GUN, watching the medical team hurry forward to take over for Rouge and me. It would echo in my dreams for the few moments of rest I managed to get as the doctors stabilized Shadow's condition in a life against death six hour battle. It would resonate off the walls along with the steady beep of the life support machines that made sure Shadow would survive the night.

If only we knew what it meant.


	49. Recovery

**First thing: Yes, we purposefully did not leave any comments last chapter. It was very difficult for me to do, because I loved all of the reviews, but we thought it was a fun way to… well, torture y'all a little more than usual. I think Halo may be rubbing off on me… Sorry.**

 **Second thing, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year (albeit late).**

 **So I am going to try and answer all the reviews. Or at least part of them.**

 **CHAPTER-BEFORE-LAST'S REVIEWS:**

 **SharpDragonKlaw: Get used to the feeling of excitement and dread. It comes up a lot.**

 **StarlightSparks: Glad we could help out! Power outages are not fun. At all. It gets cold and there is no good food to have (of course I like tuna fish sandwiches, but they get old after a little while). Plus it is boring.** _ **...You eat tuna fish sandwiches during blackouts?... Heck, you EAT TUNA FISH?**_ **What's wrong with tuna fish? I like those sandwiches, but blackouts sorta have made them less appetizing to me…. Better question: why are we talking about this?**

 **IcyPinkFlower: LOL. My parents do that too. I'm shocked they haven't sent me to a counselor. Yet. Oh, cliffhangers are evil. But they are also my friends. (; Sorry.**

 **MeowthKitty: *cackling laughter* Oh my goodness, where did that come from? Halo! I think I'm becoming you! Knock it off!**

 **MelGamingPlays: Not next week. Sorry. Breaks are apparently not a good time for Halo and I to type or something.**

 **Quantum27: *Robot voice* Tension building up… reaching dangerously high levels…**

 **Shapeshifter 27: I don't watch that show. Never really been into the whole, undead phase. I like kid shows, for some reason… Although Psych is awesome and I'll watch Doctor Who every once in awhile. Dang.**

 **ultimateCCC: That is one way of putting it.**

 **NeckBreak: Aw, thanks. No, Rin doesn't really like magic. That may be explored later… but maybe not.**

 **Megaman07: Gosh darn it, why? Because why not? And I suppose that scrap did get real.**

 **juancastri111: Hello old friend! How was your trip? It sounds like a lot of fun. Yeah… Sonic is a jerk and I don't think he is completely excused for his crap, but hey. Storytelling. And hey, I love Tails too (honestly, I am so mad at SEGA for what they've done to him in the most recent games. GIVE THE KID SOME FIGHT IN HIM HONESTLY SEGA IT ISN'T THAT HARD.) Hope you arrive home safely and hope to hear from you soon. Enjoy the rest of your trip (unless it is already over by the time you read this… oh, well. It is the thought that counts).**

 **Autumn: Cliffhanger is the most popular word in these reviews. It makes me laugh.**

 **Guest #1: LOL.**

 **Zosonils: LOL. That was funny. Sorry. Sonic didn't get a hug. Nor will he get one for… a really, really, really long time. IF he gets one. Running out of noodles is no laughing matter. Noodles are important for delicious Alfredo and Mac'n'Cheese (but yeah. I don't think I'd cry over it unless I was also really tired). I forgot about the Game Night chapter. Okay, so I didn't forget about it, but… ya know.**

 **Faso: Aw, thanks. Reviews make me smile and knowing I'm doing something right (or wrong, as the case may be. Of course flaming doesn't help anyone so constructive criticism is my favorite form of criticism). Knights of the Old Republic? Ugh! I need to play that. I have heard wonderful things about it and haven't been able to try it out. Yet. I'll get there. Rewriting the prequels? Good luck. Try and improve them! (I… don't… like… AotC… Ugh… Why…?) Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like it. I also love how Rin is on the list. I mean, she's not even cannon. I didn't even think people liked her that much. Late Merry Christmas! I also enjoyed The Last Jedi (and I agree. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. Quit whining everyone.), but I would have to say my favorite is Return of the Jedi. And favorite game? Um… Either Star Wars Unleashed or The Clone Wars games (what? I'm not a huge gamer). But I do love what I have been able to play of Battlefront (not the new ones, haven't had the chance to try them, but the old ones).**

 **Guest #2: Both stories? Holy Chaos… I am so glad you liked them. Hope you continue to like them.**

 **HOLY CHAOS WE ARE HALFWAY THERE. My fingers hurt….**

 **LAST CHAPTER'S REVIEWS:**

 **IcyPinkFlower: Yay! Killing cliffhangers! Shadow's fine… for now. The GUN hospitals know what they're doing. Dark is terrifying. And Tails needs a hug.**

 **Shapeshifter 14: Shadow knows everything. And I mean,** _ **everything**_ **. But no one else does (well, except for Halo and me. We know even more).**

 **Autumn: We are now going to come down from the intensity just a little.**

 **ultimateCCC: Shadow, meet Dark. He's your doom. Pikachu!**

 **MeowthKitty: Intensity levels will now drop. For this chapter, at least.**

 **SharpDragonKlaw: Yes. Yes they are.**

 **Megaman07: Um… *looks at Dark* Halo can hug him. I'm staying on the opposite side of the world.**

 **MelGamingPlays: This chapter was almost done after the last one was posted so I can happily say, "Quick update succeeded!"**

 **StarlightSparks: Dark will come forward into the light! …..At some point or another. Happy New Year to you too!**

 **Faso: My Mum doesn't read any of the stuff I post. And the action scenes… oh gosh, I just- ugh… I'm working on my own original works and will hopefully publish it someday! And when I do, if you come across it, you will probably figure it out (if it is a certain book series…) Halo likes Gravity Falls too, so I'm going to go hide while she has a little freak out from pure joy.**

 **Guest: Alright, deep breath in… and then out… Don't die on us over here. You have a life to live and enjoy! And I don't think I want 'accidentally killed someone via hyperventilating' on my resume…**

 **Hawkfeather: Yep! Everyone take cover! Depends on your definition of 'okay'. My definition: no. They are not going to be okay. Not for a long time… (*due to Havoc hacking into our story and attempting to change dialogue and insert weirdness that did not help the story in anyway, shape, or form, he has been banned from accessing this story in anyway, shape, and form** … _**like that'll stop him**_ ***)**

 **Okay, NOW we can start. Onward!**

Sonia's POV:

I was still in shock.

How could Maurice- how could _my brother-_ do something like this? It shouldn't even have been a possibility! I knew something was wrong; something _had_ to be wrong.

But what?

I was sitting in Tails' cluttered living room, hardly aware of my surroundings. From what I had heard, Tails hadn't left his room in days; not for food, not for water, and certainly not to see anyone. Amy and Knuckles had been staying over with him since we had been forced away from the GUN hospital almost a week ago. Manic and I had parked the van at the end of the street; I guess none of us felt like being alone would do any good.

Manic was watching TV in the other room, but based on his lack of commentary, he wasn't really paying attention; With how absentminded everyone else had been lately, I couldn't say I blamed him.

Suddenly, the loneliness of it all started to bother me. I wanted to _talk_ to someone- maybe Knuckles?... But he was out somewhere, and I had no clue when he'd be back. Tails wasn't speaking to _anyone_ , and Amy… I didn't really know her that well. I wasn't even sure if she liked me.

I'd go talk with Manic. The noise from the TV was starting to drive me crazy anyway.

Slowly, I got up and trudged towards the kitchen, knowing that the other room was through there. The kitchen wasn't exactly the cleanest of spaces, with dishes piled up in the sink and a strange smell coming from the fridge, but it didn't matter to me as much as it normally would have. It just didn't seem important, not compared to everything else that had been going down.

Suddenly, another person burst in through the other door, nearly ramming into me. I stepped aside just in time, narrowly avoiding Amy spilling hot tea over me. I guess my powers were running a little slower than usual.

"Oh my Chaos, I'm so sorry!" cried Amy. "You startled me!" She snatched up a cloth from the counter and began to wipe up the tea off the floor.

"Sorry." I gave a shy smile before bending down to help clean up. "Who was the tea for?"

Amy looked up before speaking, a little hesitant at first. "Well… It was for Tails, but he wouldn't talk to me anyway. He wouldn't even open the door."

"How… how is he doing?"

She sighed. "As well as anyone expects." We finished mopping up the tea and I picked up the tea kettle to take to the sink. Amy followed me over, snatching the kettle out of my hand and starting to scrub it. I hesitated for a moment before grabbing a plate and helping her. Cleaning up this kitchen was as good an activity as any.

Amy was silent for a moment before hesitantly asking, "Do you know about… y'know."

"Know what?"

"Sonic adopting Tails," Amy finished. Her eyes widened and she quickly clarified, "As a brother, I mean! Not like a… a kid, or anything, that would be _so weird-_ "

I almost laughed. "I know what you mean. Yeah, I know. What about it?"

"Well," Amy began, "Is it… weird?"

I thought about it for a moment before answering. "Kind of. I mean, it's always been the two of- _three_ of us. I never thought I'd have another… brother." I cringed at that thought, "Ugh, why couldn't I have a sister for once in my life."

Amy chuckled softly, "Try being an only child."

"I did. Wasn't really my thing." I smiled, "Uncle Chuck usually pretended I didn't exist."

"Oh, I am _so_ jealous!" Amy grabbed a towel and began to dry the dishes I had already cleaned. "My parents practically _lived_ to control my every move. School, extracurriculars, what I wore, what I read… well, you get the idea." She shrugged, "Don't get me wrong. I love them and all but…"

"It's your life?" I frowned as an especially filthy dish was pulled up from the bottom of the sink.

"Exactly." Amy put away two plates in a cupboard before returning to the sink. We worked in silence for a moment.

"Can you… can you tell me about Maurice?" I asked, a little timid. "I mean, Sonic."

Amy frowned at the question. "He's your brother, isn't he?"

"Well, yes, but-" I put a cup down in front of her to dry. "I haven't seen him since I was six and the only thing I really know about him is that he's fast, the hero of Mobius, and is currently… MIA."

Amy thought about it for a moment. "I see your point." She finished up her final dishes before asking her next question. "What do you want to know?"

"Um…" I hadn't really thought about it until now. "What is he like… personality wise?"

Amy answered slowly. "Well… he's nice. _Really_ nice. He'll do literally anything to keep his friends safe. And I mean _anything_. He once dove into the ocean to save my life, even when he couldn't swim. _That_ was a bad day..."

"Well at least that hasn't changed." I smiled before motioning at Amy to continue.

"He's really brave. He won't back down for anything, ever. Super competitive type, y'know? And really fun, even in the middle of battles. But he isn't afraid of hard work either. When it comes down to it, he'll work hard if we need him to. Otherwise, he's a total free spirit." At this point, Amy was grinning dreamily and staring off into space, hardly noticing that she had been drying the same dish for five minutes.

Suddenly, her expression slid off and she grew quiet. "But… I don't know," she said sadly. "I kind of always guessed that he was hiding some other part of himself from us. He never showed it that often, but sometimes on holidays or game nights or when we were all together, he'd get quiet. Like it was the last day of his life or something." Amy frowned, "He likes to live in the moment when he can. Yeah, he loves his speed and he's not always around, but he really cares about us. He wouldn't stick around if he didn't."

She fell silent and we both continued working at the dish pile for a few minutes, each wrapped up in our own thoughts and memories.

"Were you…" I began slowly, "Did you… I mean, it isn't my business or anything but were you… and my brother… like, _friends,_ or…?

Amy blushed bright red, "We… we were just friends. I mean, yeah, we went on one or two dates, but Sonic is pretty free-willed. And he was never really into the whole dating thing."

"But you like him." I scrubbed at a pan, "Right?"

Amy was now blushing furiously as she dried a plate and I hid a smile. "Well, um… I notice you and Knuckles are getting along again!"

I almost rolled my eyes, but decided to let it go. Honestly, I was just curious. I hadn't seen Maurice in over eleven years. I had no right to tell him who he could and couldn't date. "I suppose so, but he's, uh… ' _dating'_ Rouge, and I'm ninety-nine percent sure she hates my guts."

Amy patted my arm gently, "She does. Don't take this the wrong way, but Rouge has kind of had a thing for Knuckles since they first met. She's liked him since day one, but Knuckles is well, _Knuckles_. I was actually really surprised when I found out he had a girlfriend at all. Just… take it easy on her. She never mentions it, but I know that the kinds of guys who pay her any real attention are…"

"My brother?"

Amy laughed, "Yeah, that's the nice way of saying it. How did that happen anyway?"

I shrugged, "I think Manic tried to steal from her awhile back and she beat him to a pulp. He thought it was hot or something."

"Sounds like Rouge." Amy frowned, "I feel like it's more than that though."

"Probably." I placed another bowl in front of her growing pile of wet dishes, "But Manic doesn't tell me everything. And honestly, I really don't want to know everything, especially the parts about his… criminal tendencies."

"Well, there's one thing the two have in common." Amy threw a handful of silverware in a drawer. "I can't trust that girl within fifty feet of my jewelry box, although, I probably don't have anything she would even want. My GUN salary couldn't even _begin_ to cover her type of obsession."

"Manic hates jewels." I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. How many dishes could two boys dirty anway?

"Really? Why?"

"Something to do with Chaos Emeralds. He gets all antsy whenever I bring it up," My grip on a glass tightened slightly, and I had to stop myself from shattering it. "Can't say I blame him."

Amy looked surprised. "Why's that?"

I threw the sponge in the sink, more than a little angry. "I don't know how or why, but I have a feeling that this situation with Sonic and Shadow is partially my fault." I growled, "I wanted to take that blasted emerald out of the cave and Manic said he had a bad feeling about it and I didn't listen. Now that," I banged my fist against the counter, "- _blasted_ emerald has done something to Maurice. I just _know_ it!"

Amy waited patiently for me to calm down, slowly drying a plate. Then she replied to my concerns, "You can't blame yourself. Sonic wouldn't let you. The thing is, we don't know what's going on right now and playing the blame game isn't going to help anyone. All of us are feeling guilty." She put the last dish away, turning to face me, her expression stoic. "For now, let's figure out the real problem and fix that. Okay?"

I felt some of the tension drain out of my body. "... Alright."

We stayed quiet for a second before Amy put on a forced smile, "Alright. It's been three days since anyone has had a proper meal. Want to help make some waffles?"

I managed to smile back, but only barely. "I would love to."

XXX

Manic's POV:

You what gets on my nerves? Reality TV.

There is no story. The characters are your average set of greedy schmucks that represent the worst that society has to offer. Excuse me if I don't find the prospect of Betty and Jeremy's secret relationship particularly riveting.

The channel shifted to some annoying gum commercial, and I didn't bother to suppress my groan. This stunk.

I needed something new. And I mean _new_. Sonia and Amy had been chatting in the kitchen for the past half an hour, and it had gotten boring eavesdropping on them after a while. Knuckles and Rouge were out doing Chaos knows what, and there was no way I was going to visit Captain Comatose. Maurice was probably possessed, so that left-

-Tails.

How was I supposed to deal with that kid? He had literally barricaded himself in his room since we got here and hadn't said a word to anyone since. I had passed by his room a couple times, and all I could hear from inside was him blasting emo music at top volume. I hadn't known he was into those sort of bands, but I guess everyone listens to that stuff when they're depressed.

Well, it was a challenge at any rate. And any challenge was better than another twelve episodes of _The Real Housewives of Central City._

But how to approach him?

I began to flip through the channels when I found the opening theme for _Space Truck._ Turns out, there was a channel who was doing a day-long marathon of reruns from the original show, before the nauseatingly terrible reboot. Sweet.

And I knew just who to watch it with.

I jumped to my feet and sprinted up the stairs, trying to remember which door belonged to Tails.. I decided to try all of them. The first one was a bathroom- which, heads up, was disgusting- and the second was an empty room with a bed and lamp. Guest room? Probably. The next room was a complete mess, the floor covered in travel pamphlets and old socks. There was an unmade, bright red racecar bed in the corner and I thought I saw the remains of an old chili dog hidden in the clutter, but decided not to investigate any further. The next door was locked.

Found him.

I cleared my throat, a little louder than usual. "Hey… Miles."

The loud, angst-ridden music switched off; I heard a small thump or something from inside the room. The kid was probably confused on why I was standing outside his door. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I was doing either. This was one of those times when I just had to wing it. "Um…" I started awkwardly, "I was, uh, wondering if you wanted to come out and watch some Space Truck with me. There's a marathon on TV."

For a moment, there was silence. Cue the angsty music turning back on.

 _Okay…_ I thought to myself, leaning against the door. _So that was bust. Maybe if I grab the TV and bring it upstairs, sneak it through the window on the back wall and plug it in without the kid noticing, then set up the cable- oh, Chaos, what am I saying?_

I knelt down by the locked door handle and picked it in about ten seconds. Tails looked very surprised when I suddenly kicked open the door and burst into his room. Then he looked angry. "Leave."

"Hey! You just talked!" I grinned. "That's an improvement!"

"Go away." Tails glared before turning up his speakers and pulling a blanket over his head.

"Two words!" I marched over to the bed and tugged at the sheet; he held on tight. "Now how about a complete sentence?"

"Go away or _I'll kill you._ "

"Perfect!" I motioned to absolutely no one, pretending for a minute that I was some kind of game show announcer. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I do believe we've had a breakthrough!"

I pried his fingers from the blanket and yanked it off, tossing it to the floor. Tails looked very annoyed, "How many times do I need to tell you? Get out and leave me _alone!"_

"Ding, ding, ding! Congratulations! The patient has successfully asked a question! With so much progress in one day, I do believe we have a prodigy on our hands!"

Tails raised an eyebrow, looking indignant. "Are you mocking me?"

"Yes."

"Well, _quit it._ "

I folded my arms stubbornly, refusing to budge. "Look kid, you've been hiding up here listening to angry music for _way_ too long. This ain't healthy. Time to come out and interact with living things."

Tails groaned and hid his face in his pillow. "For the last time, get out."

"Say 'please'."

" _...Please_ get out."

"Sure, since you asked so nicely. Oh yeah, an' you're coming too."

Tails raised an eyebrow. "No, I'm not."

"I never said you had a choice," I sprang forward and grabbed the kid, swinging him over my shoulder and making a beeline for the door.

"PUT ME DOWN!" he shouted, pounding furiously against my back.

"Eh…" I pretended to think about it, "No."

Tails began to kick and scream as I dragged him out the room. His tails flicked my face in protest; the thing is, though, over the years I'd built up an immunity to little discomforts, and having a bunch of hair in your face wasn't the worst thing ever. I marched down the stairs with the kid slung over my shoulder, ignoring the looks I got from Amy and Sonia when I passed the kitchen. Neither of them protested, so I assumed they were cool with it.

I threw Tails on the couch and stood over him, arms crossed. "Don't even _think_ about running. I ain't no Sonic, but my legs are still way longer than yours."

Tails glared daggers, but didn't move. "I hate you."

"Thanks!" I plopped down next to him and grabbed the remote. "You're not so great yourself."

Tails stared incredulously at me for a moment, then scowled. "Are you _always_ like this?"

"Pretty much."

"Wow. You need a hobby."

"Oh, I have lots! Picking pockets, annoying Sonia, breaking twelve year olds out of their crippling depression-"

"You need a hobby."

"I collect action figures and comics."

"... I suppose that works." Tails grumbled as I turned up the volume slightly. He didn't seem to enjoy the episode at all, completely ignoring it and choosing to insult me instead. I could dig it.

"Are you always this stubborn?" I asked.

"Are you always this invasive?" he fired back.

"Why, yes. I take pride in it. Thank you ever so much for noticing."

"Oh right. Silly me," he said in a mock-apologetic voice. "I forgot: The freak can read minds."

I snorted; honestly, I'd been called so much worse. "I'm the freak? Dude, you're a fox and you can _fly_."

"I happen to _like_ my tails, thank you very much." he said indignantly, crossing his arms.

"What? I wasn't talking about the tails. I was talking about the _plane_. 'Course, now that you bring it up, what's up with them anyway?"

"Genetic mutation. Or are those words too big for you?"

"Genetic Mutation. Noun. A permanent alteration in the DNA sequence of a gene that differs from what is found in the majority of other beings, ranging in size from a single base pair to a large segment of a chromosome that includes multiple genes." I said, my smile never leaving my face. "I get around."

Tails rolled his eyes. "Okay, so you know two things: _Space Truck_ and the dictionary."

"And you know two things: moping and complaining."

I could practically see the steam coming from his ears. "At least I'm not a _thief_ for a living."

"At least I don't keep secret Mina Mongoose merch in my closet."

I had to stop myself from falling over laughing when I saw how red his face got. Like it was my fault he left his closet door _wide_ _open_. "I… I don't… you… Shut up!" he said, flustered.

Wow. If that was his best comeback, then we had a real problem on our hands.

"Hey, come on! That the best you got?" I asked, grinning. "You've gotta have something better than that."

Tails looked confused. "Than… what?"

I rolled my eyes. " 'Shut up'? That's it? Come on, I just mocked you for your creepy obsession with a girly pop idol. Get mad! Hit me with your best shot!"

"...Shut up!"

I groaned. "Okay. Let's start over. I'm gonna tease you about something stupid and _you're_ gonna shoot back with something witty. Oh, yeah, and I've been meaning to ask you- how exactly does one join The Lollipop Guild?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"Nothing. Just curious why your birth certificate says you're twelve when _clearly_ you're about seven."

For a second, I thought Tails was gonna try to hit me. "I'm. _Twelve_." he said through gritted teeth.

"Coulda fooled me," I smirked. "Bet it's annoying still being stuck in grade school, isn't it, kiddo?"

"I'll have you know that I've scored better on the national tests than most high schoolers!" Tails' voice was steadily rising; I believe I hit a nerve. "Unlike _someone_ here who can't even add!"

"Hey, now you're getting it!" I replied, grinning. "But how 'bout stepping up your game a little?"

" _What is the matter with you?"_

"You want a list?"

"Arrgh!" he groaned, facepalming. "That's it. I'm done. Thanks for nothing, idiot," Tails got to his feet and made a beeline for the stairs.

I grabbed his arm and yanked him back on the couch, holding him firm. "You're welcome!"

Tails looked like he was about ready to explode. "Let me go, _now!_ "

"So you can sulk in your room for another week? Yeah, that ain't happening, bud. This is for your own good."

"My _own good?_ That's a laugh coming from you!" Tails sprung to his feet and stood stiff and rigid. "Everything was great until you decided to show up! You and your _stupid_ sister-"

"You don't get to call her that." I was dead serious. I can take an insult, but nobody- and I mean _nobody-_ disses my sister. No one but me, anyway.

"-barged into my life and completely derailed it! I was _happy_ with Maurice, and everything was just fine until you two showed up and wrecked everything I've ever cared about!"

"Woah, kid, time out," I interrupted. "I don't know what exactly is going on around here, but it looks like the problem with Maurice started _way_ before me and Sonia ever showed up. We ain't the reason he went haywire."

"I- That's not the point!" he sputtered.

"Then what _is_ the point?" I asked, my tone hard. "Seriously. I'm curious. It wasn't my fault or Sonia's that Maurice went off the deep end, so why in the name of Captain Kinner do you hate us so much?"

Tails froze. "I…" started, sounding unsure. "I don't hate you."

"But you _did_ forget that you're talking to a mind reader, apparently. Plus, you're a terrible liar. So spill." I retorted. Tails went silent.

Lately I'd been trying to steer clear of using my abilities, mostly because every time I tried, it made my injured hand start to burn. Don't ask me why, I had no clue. But I had the impression that Tails wasn't exactly in the mood to open up, so I'd have to help him a little. I closed my eyes for a moment and focused hard, choosing to ignore the prickling sensation in my hand.

"You're mad at Sonic for never telling you about us," I began slowly. Tails looked up, surprised. "You don't think it's fair that he knew your whole life story and told you next to nothing about his." I gave him a smile, "Well, I'd get mad too. How come he never told you?"

"...I don't know," Tails said, so quietly I almost couldn't hear him. At least he wasn't angry anymore.

I decided to keep going. "You know that Sonic thought we were dead, and you understand what it feels like to lose family. But you feel… you feel like you're some kinda... replacement. For me and Sonia. Aw, man… That's just tearing you apart, ain't it?" Slowly, he nodded his head, biting his lower lip.

"Do you.." started Tails, refusing to look at me. "I mean… since you came here, do you ever… y'know… feel like I replaced you?...And Sonia?" For the first time, I struggled to find the words.

"I… I dunno. Ain't really thought about it," I said quietly. "I don't _think_ I feel replaced. I mean, kinda, I guess, but technically I've been dead to him for over a decade. Besides, you're closer to him than I ever got to be."

Tails buried his face in his hands. "That's just it, I don't even know if I knew him that well! If he's hidden something _this_ big from me… what else is he hiding? Was everything he told me a lie? _I don't even know who he is anymore!_ "

I didn't respond immediately. "What's his favorite food?"

"Um… chilidogs."

"Favorite color?"

"Red."

"Favorite movie?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Because I don't know any of that. _You_ do." I said, suddenly feeling a little sad. "The only thing I know is his full name. Maurice Ogilvie Hedgehog."

" _...What?"_

"Kidding! His middle name is Julian, after our dad." I shrugged, "Anyway, the point is, you know more about him than I can ever hope to learn. He might not have told you everything, but what he did, it's true. And before you start-" I said, cutting him off as he opened his mouth to speak. "Take it from a guy who's tried, there is no way he could've kept up such a complicated lie for so long. He's probably dropped most of the lies by now, if there were ever any to begin with. From what I can tell, the only thing he never mentioned was… well, me. And Sonia. Like, come on, he had to have mentioned his parents at _some_ point."

Tails frowned and thought for a moment, "I think… I remember him mentioning them once… but it was a passing comment along the lines of, 'My parents never took me to movie theaters' or something like that."

"Ha! Darn right they never took us to movie theaters. We lived so far out in the boonies that none of us even knew what a movie _was_."

Tails gave me a strange look. I decided to change the subject. "So, do you like this episode? Because Lieutenant Spark is the absolute _worst_ in this one." He seemed a little put off by me switching gears so suddenly, but shrugged in response anyway.

I figured we'd had enough soul searching for one day, so I turned up the volume of the TV and starting making commentary on it, like I would when I'd watch something with Sonia. Tails stayed consistently silent for the first few episodes, but once or twice I was able to make him at least smile, and I think he almost laughed at one point. At one point Sonia walked in with a plate of waffles for the two of us. She didn't say anything, but did raise an eyebrow in my direction. I shrugged in reply.

Around episode fourteen, I had gotten Tails to join me in mocking the redshirts and egging on the heroes on their mission to save the galaxy. It was around then that the marathon was coming to an end and the channel announced its next event, a series of reruns of _All My Grandchildren,_ which would be playing right after this episode. Gag me.

"So," I leaned back slightly in the couch, stretching out. "How long have you known Sonic?"

Tails tensed up slightly, glaring at me accusingly.

I shrugged, "Hey, just making conversation. I mean, you didn't meet each other by getting zapped by a teleporter, right?" I motioned at the TV, where the hot new cadet was meeting the Commander by that exact situation.

Tails relaxed slightly, hugging his knees into his chest. "Well…" He hesitated, "Sonic… I don't know where he came from, but a few years ago he showed up in the town where I was living, and he… he saved me from some guys who were trying to beat me up."

"Woah, woah, woah!" I interrupted. "That's gonna need an explanation too, bud." Tails looked at me like I was the biggest idiot on the planet, then pointed to his tails.

"Oh." I said simply. "Um… continue."

He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, we split ways for a little while, but he found me-" Tails cut himself off. "-We found… each other. And became friends. It was an interesting day."

I smelled a rat. I had the feeling I'd regret this later, but I once again penetrated his mind. I'd seen my fair share of cheesy friendship movies, and the only thing I ever got out of them was that they were laughably unrealistic- Tails's explanation fit _perfectly_ with the genre. There had to be more to this story than just them meeting by chance.

Images poured into my mind one after the other, short clips of speech haphazardly strung together. It was obviously from a couple years ago; Tails only looked about five or six. Usually when memories are this old, they get garbled in translation, or some bits are missing entirely. Not this one, though- this was still in perfect focus.

Bridges. I was seeing bridges. The kinds with roaring rivers and sharp rocks at the bottom, and no cops nearby to stop jumpers from offing themselves. Hol-ee moly. The more I saw, the more a single thought ran through my head: this kid needed a therapist. Like, _bad_.

Also, side note: I wanted to find his father and throw him off the nearest cliff into an ocean of piranhas. An ocean that is made of lava. And bear traps.

I turned to Tails, trying to find the right words, but nothing came to mind. Nothing sane, anyway; my entire arm felt like it was on fire at this point and all that was running through my mind were several colorful phrases that Sonia told me I'm not allowed to say in front of anyone under eighteen. Thankfully, Tails didn't seem to notice my agony and kept on talking.

"We stayed together for a little while, but then…" He trailed off for a second. "Stuff happened, and we kinda ditched each other. I got captured by Robotnik and he made me build this stupid robot for him, but Sonic saved me and a few months later we got recruited by GUN. We've been brothers ever since." He said it with a smile, but I could easily sense what was going on under the surface, even without reading him.

I didn't answer for a moment, trying to organize my thoughts, which is a lot harder than it sounds. "Tails…" I started slowly, "I… I'm glad Sonic found you." He looked surprised; I kept going.

"You seem like a good kid and… hey, between you and me," I looked around and lowered my voice to put on a show of secret. "I never did like being the youngest."

Tails perked up, his eyes bright and almost hopeful. "So… you're okay with me?"

"Uh, why wouldn't I be? I mean, come on, you're into _Space Truck._ That alone puts you in my good book." I hesitated for only a second before slinging my arm around the kid, giving him a playful shove. "And hey, we both just lost a bro, but…" I smiled down at him, gently, "We gained one too, y'know?"

Tails face blushed slightly and his eyes began to blink rapidly. He cleared his throat and looked up to the TV just to see the theme song of _All My Grandchildren_ pop on. The remote seemed to just appear in his hand the the screen turned off. "Ugh, I hate that show."

"Tell me about it," I said with a groan. Tails stood up and stretched his arms, yawning loudly.

"Well… I should go to bed."

"What time is- holy toledo!" I stared at the blinking digits that read 1:30 AM. Tails laughed, and I suddenly realized that this was the first I had seen him smile, really smile. "G'night, Manic."

" 'Night, Tails. Oh yeah, if you don't come out of your room tomorrow, I'll drag you out myself." Tails didn't answer but nodded, a small smile on his face. He turned and walked upstairs and out of sight.

I didn't feel much like moving; after who knows how many hours of uninterrupted _Space Truck_ and unofficial therapy sessions, it wasn't surprising that I felt exhausted. I grabbed a throw pillow and set it over my face, ready to drift off to dreamland-

A large thud sounded from the kitchen, followed by a loud snort.

"Rouge! Be quiet!"

"Hey, I ain't the one who rammed into the countertop, sweetheart."

Ugh… I did not want to hear Rouge flirting with her wannabe boy toy. Maybe I could slip out the back door-

"Hand it over." Knuckles voice was hard and uncompromising.

I heard Rouge groan and something rustle. "Oh, come on, Red. The other's are missing-"

"Which is why I need that emerald. _Now."_

Rouge must have handed over the gem because Knuckles voice seemed much less tense the next time he spoke, "Are you sure you don't have the others?"

"Ugh, for the last _time_ , Red, I don't know where they are! I'm still trying to figure out how you lost _seven_ emeralds."

"I didn't lose them!" Knuckles shouted. Rouge hushed him loudly. Knuckles repeated in a softer voice, "I didn't lose them. They just… moved."

"Sounds like losing them to me."

"Rouge, I _swear-_ "

"Alright, alright, whatever. I'm going to bed." Rouge sounded almost… sad. I heard her footsteps retret up the stairs. I waited for Knuckles to walk back down a hall and into a guest bedroom on the first floor before letting myself breathe again.

Apparently, the Chaos Emeralds were missing and Rouge didn't take them. Personally, I felt that was an improvement to our situation, but I was a little biased. Maybe it wasn't good? A thought popped into my head. If the emeralds were gone, did that mean-

I jumped to my feet and ran out the back door and into Tail's shop. I climbed up on a worktable, then hoisted myself up onto one of the beams that ran across the ceiling. The ceiling itself was probably twenty feet tall, but the beams made it easy for me to climb. When I got to the top, I scooted forward until I came close enough to the wall to pry off a panel.

Well, where else would I hide a gem from Rouge?

I groped around the inside of the hole, but felt nothing. A bubble of panic rose up in my chest; No way. I _know_ I left it here. I had made sure that nobody else knew where it was! _This wasn't possible!_

Okay, Manic. Breathe. Think, think… I'd have to tell Sonia about this. Or Knuckles. Or both... Someone.

Suddenly, my right arm flared with a searing pain, and I almost slipped off my perch. Stupid burn.

I was too tired to get back to the van, instead opting to crash on the couch. Might as well. I had already spent the entire day on it, what more was a few hours?

 **Hey, another character chapter! You know what that means!**

 **Actually…. What does that mean? You know what, forget that statement. Hope you enjoyed.**

 **Review about Manic and Tails interactions! And what you would think of an Amy and Sonia friendship?**


	50. Duck and Cover

***fangirl screaming* OH MY CHAOS! GUESS WHAT, Y'ALL?**

 **We have reached a monumental moment in this story. It's called: WE ARE 75% OF THE WAY THERE! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!**

 **(Actually, now that I look out the outline, I realize we cut or condensed some chapters awhile back so we are actually past that point… whoops.)**

 **Also, I want to celebrate the fact that, as of the release of this chapter, we have 480 reviews on this story. And apparently over 100 followers! HOLY COW, THAT IS CRAZY. And speaking of reviews:**

 **ultimateCCC: *stares at review and counts statements* Wow. Four points. I think that's a new record for you, which means we either did a good job or did a bad job. Thanks for the feedback. 1. Manic and Tails brother relationship! One of my new personal favorites. 2. Count on it. 3. Very true. 4. Yes. Yes he does.**

 **Megaman07: I really missed sassy Tails, and Manic really wouldn't care in the long run, so it was fun. Yeah, no emeralds, plus they lost their two heavy hitters (well, other than Knuckles). So… trouble's coming.**

 **StarlightSparks: You and me both. Tails and Manic bros forever!**

 **MelGamingPlays: Character development! The key to a good story (or at least one of them…) What was Sonia jealous about? I can't find that… but maybe we did it subconsciously. Bye, bye emeralds!**

 **Hawkfeather: *reads first paragraph and bursts out laughing* I- YOU- HE- CAN'T BREATH. I mean, I hate Mr. Prower, but that… that was beautiful…. Thank you. That made my day. Reading into things isn't the worst thing you can do.**

 **SharpDragonKlaw: I don't think it would be way off if Sonia and Amy were friends either, although, I don't think we'll see them get super close here. Tails and Manic and Sonic, let's have some fun…**

 **astoryteller: Yes, Space Truck is Star Trek. We had to do something similar, and Halo and I thought that sounded fun enough. Manic and Tails, Sonia and Amy! We have fun bonding.**

 **juancastri11: *stares at review* Wow. Well, I can check 'make Manic likeable in this story' off the list. Sonia and Amy friendship isn't going to be a huge plot point, so don't worry too much about it. Glad you had a good trip.**

 **Autumn: I'm not a huge fan on reality tv either, so I'm with you and Manic. Hey Manic! Let's go watch some Star Wars Rebels!**

 **Faso: Character chapters are fun. Tails as an emo… okay, I'm going to go wash my brain out with soap and water and get that image out of my head. Snoke! WHO ARE YOU? That really was annoying. Like, severely annoying. Plus Rey's parent revel was kind of frustrating. Like, now I like it, but when I first heard I just stared at the movie screen and wanted to bang my head against a wall. "Two years of fan speculation… for that." And the Han Solo movie trailer? It looks… okay. But I don't think we're going to break new amazing ground in it. Sonic's version of Star Trek- Space Truck. Better than what Halo and I came up for an alternate name for Star Wars (Nova Conflicts… Yeah, probably could have done better). I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter and our writing!**

 **Zosonils: LOLOLOLOL, that was beautiful! I mean, that's me in a nutshell. "I need a break from the feels, let's go read this… oh, right." Shadow v. possessed Sonic equals bad things. Very bad things. Knuckles should be fired, but… well who else can be the Guardian. I… I don't have words. I think that was the best comment anyone could have made. Thank you! Okay quick clarification because Halo and I have been arguing about this: when you said, "bonding moments between two likeable characters who are all-too-often put at each other's' throats by fandom when they could just as easily (and much more interestingly) become a fantastic friendship duo," were you talking about Sonia and Amy or Manic and Tails? And hello from Not Australia Land!**

 **Alright so for some reason Halo and I have kind of lost some… speed juice. We've been crawling through this chapter like a snail through molasses. So… sorry 'bout that. Hopefully we'll pick up next chapter.**

Amy's POV:

" _Now, Amelia, lift your hammer slightly higher."_

I rolled my eyes, but complied. Of course, that slight distraction allowed Sonia to almost stun me with her brand new gun.

She laughed at my annoyed expression as I picked myself up and brushed off my skirt. "Oh, _come on,_ Rose! Keep your head in the game."

I snorted at that. Kinda impossible thanks to someone's constant jabbering!

" _It is not my fault this hedgehog outmatches you in ability."_

She does _not_ outmatch me in- " _Ahh!"_ I flipped backwards, my hammer vanishing in thin air as Manic appeared out of nowhere and tried to tackle me to the ground.

Sonia shot at stun blast at him, fuming. "MANIC!"

The green hedgehog looked up sheepishly, "Yes?"

"We were sparring! You weren't invited!" Sonia rested her gun against her shoulder, glaring daggers at her twin-...triplet.

About two hours ago, Sonia and I had somehow gotten into an argument on who had better skills in a fight. One thing led to another, and we had headed out to Tails's backyard to spar and see who was right.

I had to give the girl some credit; she was pretty good. Tails had taken an old GUN blaster design and added some improvements to it, giving it to Sonia only last night. She had gotten some target practice in earlier today, but she seemed a natural with the new weapon. As for agility, it was ridiculous how she could dodge almost everything I had thrown at her. Meanwhile, I knew I was going to wake up tomorrow with some bruises.

Manic gave a shrug, "I'm bored and this looks fun. _Pleeease?"_ He looked up with these pouty puppy eyes.

Sonia seemed unaffected. " _No."_

Manic glanced over in my direction, giving me the most pitiful, over dramatic look I've ever seen. It was kind of adorable. I shrugged, "Hey, I'm not getting involved in this." I summoned a hammer and threw it at Sonia. She easily dodged it, before smiling at me, a challenge in her eyes.

"That all you got?"

"You wish!" I abandoned the hammer approach and launched myself at her, attempting to wrestle the gun out of her hands. Manic picked a blade of grass and twirled it in his fingers.

After a long struggle, I finally managed to throw the gun away and we began to exchange punches and kicks (of course, we were holding back our full strength. Mostly.) Manic placed the grass in his mouth and blew, making it whistle.

Sonia and I faced off a while longer with little progress; I think I hit her once, when she wasn't looking and already winded. Eventually, with both of us out of breath, we made a non-verbal agreement to take a break.

Manic looked up from his makeshift whistle and grinned. "I play the winner!"

Sonia rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Fine. It's your funeral, bro. Just… gimme a minute," She slumped down on the grass, breathing heavily. Hey, I might not have gotten in a lot of hits, but I definitely wore her down. I consider that a success.

Sonia was taking a bit longer to recover, so I summoned a hammer and got up to face Manic, who was already stretching. He seemed antsy; ready for a fight. I was too. We nodded to each other and, without a word, lunged forward to start the fight.

At first it seemed like Manic had a similar fighting style to Sonia's; lots of dodging and a parkour-style use of the wall and fence, with a few quick hits thrown in here and there. But as the fight progressed, I started noticing little differences: Sonia used lots of judo holds that she'd use to throw or disable her opponent, with perfect form. Manic couldn't seem to care less. His moves were wild, yet very, very precise. It seemed he knew by heart which vulnerable spots to hit, and I had to sidestep three times to keep him from headbutting me in the nose. In my head, I wondered when in the world he had the time to learn to fight like this.

Another large difference was he didn't use a gun.

"Come on, Amy! Bring the fire, I can take it!" he shouted, grinning. Rather than being tired, the fight seemed to force out his energy. Okay, why not? Sonia had told me that she always suspected he was ADHD or something, so him being this hyper couldn't be too out of the ordinary.

"If you insist!" I shouted back, swinging my hammer at him and landing a blow to his lower back.

" _Ouch!_ Heh, good one!" he laughed as he got back on his feet. "But you're gonna regret that!"

"So far, I'm not regretting any of it."

" _This hedgehog seems to rely too much on talk than actual actions,"_ Rin commented. " _It would be exceedingly simple to take him down."_

Well, this hedgehog is also Sonic's brother. So let's try and keep him in one piece, 'kay?

I didn't have time to hear Rin's response, due to Manic thrusting his fist forward and punching me in the stomach before jumping back into his fighting stance, his wide grin never leaving his face despite the thin trickle of blood now running down his forehead. He wiped it out of his eyes without a second glance; it may as well have just been sweat.

"How often do you fight?" I wondered out loud, stepping back to avoid a well-placed kick in the shins.

"Not enough! Since Sonia dragged me out of the city, I ain't had much opportunity to blow off steam like this. It feels _great!_ "

Uh…

" _...Are you sure he is Sonic's brother?"_

Thank you, Rin, for stating the exact question I had been asking myself since the big reveal.

Manic put his fists up. "Oh, we're brothers alright. You wanna a blood test or something?"

I kept forgetting he could read minds.

" _This witchcraft is very disconcerting,"_ said Rin. " _I'll have you know that I disapprove of you fraternizing with these heathens, Amelia. There is no telling what sort of demonic abilities they possess."_

Manic frowned, "Hey lady, this ain't witchcraft, so watch it!" He paused in a punch and thought for a moment, "But I guess I can understand why someone would call it that… Especially if you've got some extra years on ya'."

I bit my lip to keep from crying out in surprise, flinging my hammer at him out of instinct. Holy Chaos. Rin was having a conversation with someone who _wasn't me._ I mean, this wasn't normal in any sense of the word.

" _...Could you kindly tell your beloved's brother to 'keep his foot out of other's business'?"_ Rin asked tentatively, a touch of annoyance in her tone.

Before I could correct her, Manic burst out laughing. He grabbed his sides and almost fell to the ground from the sheer shaking.

On the side, Sonia looked very confused. "Manic, what's wrong?"

He couldn't breathe enough to speak at first, but did manage to choke out something after a minute or so of laughter. "Beloved…? Foot…? Holy Chaos! This is rich!"

Rin… it's nose. The term is 'keep your nose out of other people's business'. Please stop with the modern sayings if you can't use them right.

" _Oh,"_ Rin's voice had gotten softer, " _My apologies. I will remain silent for the remainder of the spar."_

Forget it. Manic wasn't going to get up anytime soon.

Sonia looked at me, her face clearly showing confusion. I closed my eyes and pinched my nose. So much for a good impression.

Alright, maybe I had known the two of them for several weeks now, but that didn't mean they knew me. And maybe I was jumping the gun a little by wanting to make a good impression with my crush's siblings, but in my defense, there wasn't much else I could do while I waited around for Rouge and Knuckles to return from GUN.

The two had gone to check on Shadow's condition- again- and also to pick up Sonic's file. We were hoping there would be some answers about… well, anything. Sonic's family, his history, if there was any mention of him ever coming across something 'Dark'... we were desperate. And at this point, after almost two weeks since Sonic transformed into that _thing,_ finding reliable information was getting frustrating. Even Tikal wasn't responding anymore, not even to Knuckles.

I snapped back into the present when Sonia flipped her brother over her shoulder and onto his back. He looked up, annoyed, "Hey, no fair!"

Sonia smirked down at him, "You _said_ you wanted to fight. I'm just taking advantage of your sudden insanity. Think fast!" Sonia grabbed Manic and lifted him after her head like it was nothing, only giggling when he started to protest. Manic pried himself out of her grip and leapt down behind her, grinning darkly.

"So you wanna play hardball, huh, sis?" he said amiably, cracking his knuckles. "Game on."

If I had thought fighting these two was a bizarre experience, it was nothing compared to seeing them fight each other. Manic was obviously aware that he couldn't get in close without her dodging, so he stuck to jumping off the fence and cartwheeling around the yard, calling out taunts and forcing her to run after him if she wanted to get in any kind of hit. Luckily, Sonia had her blaster and had decided to start breaking it in.

"Woah! Simmer down, tiger!" shouted Manic as he narrowly dodged a stun blast. "You mad 'cuz I'm winning?"

Sonia smirked, aiming her gun at his feet. "You wish!"

I couldn't help but laugh at how funny the whole thing looked; Sonia was grinning wider than I'd ever seen before, and from a distance, it seemed like Manic was doing a very fast, frantic jig as he avoided the shots.

"Ready to call it quits?" Sonia shouted over the din.

"Only in your dreams, princess!"

The second Sonia had to stop and reload, Manic bolted for the fence, jumping top for a moment before plunging off, apparently attempting to tackle Sonia from above. Predictably, she dodged, and Manic landed face-first in the dirt.

"Oooh, smart!" she jeered as Manic dusted himself off. "Didn't see _that_ coming- oh wait! I did!"

Manic opened his mouth to respond, but I didn't hear him due to the sudden shriek in my ear. I had completely forgotten about the com I had put in this morning. I quickly adjusted the volume and turned on my end.

"Knuckles? Rouge? What's going on?" I couldn't make out much over the deafening crashes and screams in the background. It was clear that someone was trying to talk, but clips of static were scattered throughout, cutting them off over and over again.

Finally, the static paused just long enough for me to understand who was speaking. " _Amy!"_ rasped Knuckles above the din. " _GUN's under attack! Bring as much backup as you ca-_ _ **Duck and cover!**_ " An ear-splitting explosion rang out through the communicator before it cut to static.

Whatever was attacking GUN, it wasn't playing nice. I jumped to my feet and ran inside the house.

"Tails!" I shouted. "Tails, where are you? Knuckles just sent a distress message- GUN's under attack! _Tails!_ "

Manic poked his head in the back door, "Uh… Tails is out in the shop."

"Oh," I gave an awkward smile before sprinting past him. Sonia stopped me halfway in between the house and the shop.

"Need a hand at GUN?"

"Um…" I hesitated. Pros of bringing Sonia and Manic: both were efficient fighters and could take care of themselves. Their special abilities may come in handy- who knew what was attacking? Cons: if they died, Sonic would never forgive me and Knuckles probably wouldn't either, seeing as one of them was his ex. And who knew what Rouge would think.

" _What if your beloved is the attacker?"_

Rin, he's not my 'beloved'. I don't even know if he likes me back. And why would Sonic attack GUN?

" _Need I remind you of the... incident?"_

Too soon, Rin.

" _Sonic the Hedgehog is not necessarily himself at the present. Ergo, we are unaware of what he is capable of anymore."_

Of course you had to bring that up. And no-longer-dead siblings may snap him out of it, if it is him.

I gave a short nod to Sonia, "Just don't die. I don't need to get on Knuckles' bad side right now."

XXX

Good news: It wasn't Sonic.

Bad news: It was Robotnik.

With all the drama surrounding Sonic these days, I had almost forgotten about him. Maybe that had been his plan: to take us by surprise and attack when we were most vulnerable. I didn't know for sure, but I had the feeling that somehow, Robotnik knew that Shadow wasn't available to help fight him off.

I turned to Sonia, Manic, and Tails, who were standing behind me, stricken with shock. The scene in front of us was devastating; terrified screams of civilians pierced me like a knife as they ran away from the approaching destruction. Just like his last attack, Robotnik had sent out swarms of badniks out to target the citizens.

" _Protect the innocent!"_ Rin yelled in my head, making me wince slightly. Although, that was probably what I needed to jump into action. I pulled my hammer out and threw it at the nearest bot, sending pieces of scrap metal flying.

The bee fell to the ground with a metallic crunch, sparking slightly. My hammer magically appeared in my hand and I pointed towards the GUN facility.

"Knuckles and Rouge are somewhere inside. They can hold the building while we clear the people from the area. Manic and Sonia, keep the bots from following; Tails, you're with me. Let's move!" I jumped straight into the chaos, Tails following close behind.

" _Wonderful speech, Amelia. I personally believe you make an excellent leader."_

Rin, I'm a little busy. We'll talk later.

XXX

Manic's POV:

I'm not an idiot. I knew Robotnik was one scraptastic fella, if only from watching the news every now and then. But I was really starting to understand why Maurice hated him- besides the fact that the dude killed our parents; He was _so annoying._

I mean, come on, would it kill him to attack with something other than laser bees and ugly robots? Where was the passion? The creativity? I knew if I ever became a mad scientist, I'd _at least_ try to take over the world in style.

(Although, I had to admit, that mustache was _fabulous._ )

"Manic! Get your head out of the clouds and focus!" shouted Sonia as she kicked a SWATbot in the head. "Try to mess with their circuits or whatever! Just do your thing!"

"Uh… right!" I shouted back, sprinting over to one of the bees and whacking it with a piece of pipe I found in a dumpster. I expected it to short out or deactivate, but I think I just made it mad. I had to smack it around about four more time before it would stop shooting lasers at me; and based on the smoking black marks on the places it did hit, I knew that these things weren't really the cute and cuddly type. I just felt lucky that they hadn't already blown my head off-

-Suddenly, I had a brilliant idea.

 _Like a flash, Our Hero springs into action, gallantly apprehending yet another bee-robot-thingie. He wrestles it to the ground until it's in his total control- Maniac is truly living up to his name as he blasts away SWATbots with the bee thing's laser! Never has he felt more ALIVE!_

Soon, all the robots swarming in front of the GUN building had been taken out. Good thing, too; I wasn't sure if I could keep hold of this stupid bot for much longer. I let it out of my grasp then quickly banged its side with my pipe, continuing to hit it until it stopped shooting at me. Good riddance.

Sonia ambled over to me, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Good… good work, Manic," she panted, trying to catch her breath.

"You too," I replied. "Hey, you need a break? You look tired."

"No… I'm fine," she insisted. "Robots are just harder to fight than people. Anyway, we don't have time for that. Amy said that she and Tails were rescuing civilians from inside- they'll need us to clear them a safe path out of the building."

"That it?" I asked, cracking my knuckles and grinning. "Cool. We'll have an easy job, then. With all the rust buckets out of the way, all we have to do is-"

I was interrupted by a deafening crash behind me; the vibrations shook me to my core. Slowly, I turned around to face the biggest, most lethal looking robot I had ever seen.

Sonia narrowed her eyes at me, scowling. "You just _had_ to jinx it, didn't you?"

XXX

Since when had I become the hero type?

Seriously. I almost missed the days of gang fights and evading the cops. I had figured back then that I'd stick with that lifestyle forever, which honestly suited me just fine. Yet, here I was, risking my _frikkin life_ to help take down some ridiculously terrifying kill-bot for the "greater good". That term was apparently supposed to motivate me, but I still didn't feel any better about the prospect of getting blown away by a storm of laser fire.

Robotnik was cackling like the mad man he was as he watched all of us scramble for cover. The lasers blasted the area and I heard one of the GUN soldiers scream in pain. I lost sight of Sonia and the others, but I wasn't too concerned. I grabbed a random piece of rubble and chucked it in the general direction of Robotnik. It fell several yards short and I felt almost grateful that he didn't take any notice of it.

"And what exactly was _that_ supposed to do?"

I ducked down and looked to my right. General Towers was huddled next to me, gun at the ready. His bi-colored eyes were looking at me with an almost dismissive tint.

"Well, _pardon me,_ General, but I don't have super speed like my brother," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

Towers frowned before his eyes grew wide, "You're Manic."

It wasn't a question. "That's my name, don't wear it out."

He smirked. "Nice to meet you. Although, I regret the… unpleasant circumstances."

"Uh huh. Cool. And you know me _how?"_

"Maurice spoke highly of you," he said, loading his gun.

Wait, hold up. "You're telling me that Maurice told _you_ about me, but didn't tell his _adopted brother_?"

"It was a legally binding agreement. Don't take it personally."

Of course it was. Stupid bureaucrats. I opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind but was interrupted but the large explosion that suddenly bursted directly in front of us. General Towers and I sprinted to the left just as the giant robot smashed our hiding spot with its foot. We managed to avoid any laser fire and hid down behind some rubble. General Towers stood up and took a few shots at Robotnik but they went wide.

I looked at him, eyes slightly narrowed, "Now what, General Know-it-All?"

"Do _not_ get snippy with me, hedgehog. I get enough of that from Shadow."

"Well, if ya haven't noticed by now, your Ultimate Weapon is a _teensy bit_ occupied at the moment, so you're stuck with me. Lucky you."

General Towers rolled his eyes before firing off another few shots at a bee. I picked up a nearby pipe that must have fallen off the facility or something and got ready to hit something.

The more I studied him, the more I realized that General Towers was really strange. His focus was mainly on the battle, obviously, but when I mentioned Shadow his emotions spiked slightly. He seemed to care about Shadow, but it looked like it was more out of a sense of duty than anything.

Oh yeah, and there was some cute blonde girl involved. Blondie saved Shadow's life or something and… died? I sensed guilt. Maybe Towers killed her?… nah, that wasn't it. He just felt responsible. If anything, he was annoyed that his best operative was in a coma when GUN was under attack. Some of Shadow's Chaos abilities could really come in handy about now, especially against Robotnik's Egg Beater… he hadn't pulled out this model in nearly two years, plus it was clear that he had upgraded its already advanced weapons system. It would be all the front lines could do to hold it off, and even then, they'd only be able to stall it for a limited time...

I shook my head, snapped out of it by the stinging pulse of my right hand. Since when did I read that deep into people?

"Head towards the base. Team Sonic will meet you there." Towers ordered, snapping me back into the present.

"What about you?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No time for questions, boy! I told you to get going, so _go!"_

Uh, rude much?... Whatever, he's the General. I sprinted towards the building, ignoring the screams of the injured. Better to focus on that after the danger was gone.

When I got to the facility, Sonia was the one who dragged me inside before hugging me tightly. Then she punched me in the stomach and began to rant about how I was supposed to stay near her and how I almost gave her a heart attack and to never, ever scare her like that again, do you understand, Manic- and you get the idea.

Everyone else was already inside. Knuckles and Rouge were staring at the video cameras at the giant robot and its small army; One camera just focused on Robotnik and his "Egg Beater". Just the sight of that maniac made me want to both hide and kill him with my bare hands. Amy was tending to any wounded from inside the building and Tails was fixing any broken weapons as fast as he could.

"The main shields are holding, but once that _thing_ gets here, we'll be in trouble." Knuckles pointed at the rampaging metal titan on the video screen.

I raised an eyebrow, "This place has shields, doesn't it?"

Tails gave me a grim smile, "Well, yeah. I designed them. They run off the energy of Chaos Emeralds. Right now, we're using the one we found to make sure this place doesn't crumble to dust."

"So…" I folded my arms and narrowing my eyes. "No weapons system?"

"No," Tails shrugged, "I had some early schematics drawn up for one, but the General didn't think it necessary."

"I'm beginning to rethink that," said General Towers, seeming to have appeared out of thin air. Any soldiers in the room came to attention and Rouge managed an all-too casual salute. None of Team Sonic even bothered so neither did I. He motioned for his men to relax before turning to one in particular. "Lieutenant. Report."

"Yes sir," said the lieutenant. "We have at least a dozen casualties and over fifty men injured and receiving medical attention. The enemy is coming from all sides, but we managed to evacuate approximately ninety-five percent of the surrounding population. The remaining five percent is currently hiding in our basement with three of our best acting as guards."

"How many can continue to fight?" asked Towers, clutching the bridge of his nose in despondence.

"I estimate around one hundred."

"And the enemy?" General Towers turned towards Rouge.

Rouge motioned at the screens, "I'd say about hundred and fifty buzz-bombers and seventy five SWATbots, give or take. Not to mention the mothership over there."

Knuckles nodded grimly, "And it's a big one. I don't think I've ever seen one that was so… massive."

"It's _big_ , we get it!" Tails called from his workbench. "Move on!"

Knuckles began to talk again, but the sound didn't seem to reach my ears. I blinked and shook my head, trying to focus. Knuckles' mouth was moving, but I couldn't hear any of it; I frowned. _What the..._

The world felt like it dropped out from under me, but I knew I hadn't moved. Random thoughts and images seemed to rush my brain from everyone, but they were too jumbled to understand.

 _Come on, man, keep it together!_ I thought, trying to slow down my breathing. _You're in the middle of a warzone! Read people later. You can't afford to get distracted right now!_

I rubbed my eyes and blinked repeatedly. Knuckles was still talking. I tried to make out the words, but another sudden backlash threw me back into the whirlwind of confusion.

Knuckles was scared. Like, really scared. But... it wasn't 'cuz of Robotnik. In fact, he was hardly concerned about this battle, despite the fact that it wasn't going well at all. He thought, no he _knew_ that this was just a warm up for what was coming.

Sonic. Maurice. That was the danger. He knew this without a doubt. He'd _seen_ dark energy before. He had seen what happened to people who were infected. It was what had taken his mom. It was what had driven him and Locke further apart than they ever should have been. The darkness was the real enemy. Robotnik was just the opening act.

I gasped and almost fell backwards, biting my lip to prevent myself from crying out in shock as everything suddenly came back into focus. I suddenly realized how bad my right hand was hurting, like someone had dipped it in a tub of boiling oil.

"-let's move, people!" General Towers clapped his hands together. The soldiers grabbed their weapons and marched out the front door, following their leader out into the danger zone. Tails and Amy sprinted down the hall and vanished through a door for no apparent reason while Knuckles and Rouge remained at the cameras, each slipping on a set of headphones.

Sonia gripped my shoulder, squeezing it a little. She was nervous. "Ready?"

I jumped a few feet in the air, "Sonia! Don't do that!"

"Geez, Manic, calm down." She gave me a comforting smile, "Come on. Tails needs us for this."

"Okay…" I shook my head clear and began to follow her into the building. "So, uh… what's the plan again?"

She sighed. "Do you _ever_ pay attention?"

I didn't answer.

XXX

Tails yelled something at me that I couldn't hear over the wind. Or my internal screaming.

Remember how the twelve-year-old could fly a biplane? I thought he was just able to pilot the thing, but _nooo..._ The kid was doing tricks like a crazy person while I was hanging on for dear life. 'Course, Sonia was pretty chill about all this, just shooting at whatever bees got in our way. Amy must have been used to fighting in this style, 'cause she didn't even flinch when we did a tailspin straight down, pulling up only a few feet from the ground.

" _Tails! Buddy!_ " I shouted over the wind. " _Could we_ POSSIBLY _slow down a little?"_

" _WHAT?_ " he shouted back. I opened my mouth to reply, but noticed that we were starting to land.

Robotnik's Egg Beater wasn't any less terrifying up close. At the moment, it was busy knocking over a row of office buildings, then blasting them to pieces with its laser. Hoo boy.

" _You ready?"_ shouted Amy, summoning a hammer. Sonia nodded and grabbed my hand, yanking us out of the plane before I had time to ask what she doing. I felt my stomach fly up to my throat as we dropped, the wind whipping through my hair and forcing me to shut my eyes. Goodbye, cruel world…

Suddenly, my chest hurt and I could feel myself rolling over something metallic. It was a minute before I realized that we had landed right on top of the robot.

I scrambled to my feet just in time to grab hold of a chink in the bot's armor, right before it began to aggressively shake me, Amy, and Sonia off. Amy didn't even flinch, but started hacking at the top of the cockpit with her hammer. Sonia fired shot after shot at the glass, and I could see it beginning to crack. Sure enough, one more hard whack of Amy's hammer was all it took for the glass to shatter in a million pieces.

"Manic!" shouted Sonia. "Get inside and try to hack into its mainframe! Shut it down!"

Oh, so that was the plan… Well, it _stunk_. I was a half-decent hacker, but there was no guarantee I could understand the coding language Robotnik was using. Knowing him, he'd probably have invented his own just to make sure no one could mess with it. Tails would've been better at this; _he_ was the tech genius around here. I was just a thief. I was going to voice my opinion when a bot almost as big as the one we were targeting showed up and started getting all trigger happy with its lasers.

On second thought, maybe it would be safer in the robot.

I slipped in between the shards of broken glass, careful not to skewer myself on the way down. The inside of the control area was surprisingly roomy, with panels of keyboards and dangerous-looking buttons lining every corner. A few holographic screens had popped up in front of the windshield, showing off line after line of indecipherable code.

Alright man, don't panic. Be cool. Everyone's counting on you. Do _not_ blow this.

I stepped up to the keyboard with no clue where to even start, but figuring if I entered enough nonsense into the code, the bot would malfunction and go into emergency shutdown. Frantically, I began typing in commands at random, hoping that something, _anything_ , would work.

"What in Chaos do you think you're doing?"

I whirled around to find Robotnik entering through a panel on the back, looking less than pleased to see me. There must be some machinery or something that he had been fixing before coming back to his post... Which must be what I was messing with right now.

Crud.

My mind was racing with excuses, none of which made sense or would save from the horribly painful death Robotnik had in store for anyone trespassing on his property. Thinking fast, I formulated a plan to escape back up where I came from with minimal injuries when suddenly, I felt an overload of information metaphorically smack me in the face. Loads of Robotnik trivia rushed into my brain, nearly too much for me to handle. Too much, too _fast…_ I had to concentrate with all my energy to cut off the flow of readings.

Holy Chaos… What was going on with my powers? It was like someone threw them into overdrive. Thoughts and memories that weren't mine flooded my senses, and I knew that I'd never be able to look at Robotnik the same way again.

On the bright side, I knew what to do with him now.

I turned around and began to type again, a little calmer than before.

"I asked you a question, rat!" he snarled. " _Speak_ when you're spoken to!... Or are you so paralyzed with fear that you can't talk?"

I ignored him, and began to hum a little song, "Typing, typing, la-dee-da-dee-da... Oh!" I leaned over, "Gee-golly-gosh-glory-oskins, that's a big button! Whatever does it do?"

"What the- Don't touch that!" Robotnik hissed. He lunged for my arm, but I dodged just in time. I pushed the button and something in the back made a loud crash. I looked over my shoulder a bit sheepishly. "Well, that didn't sound very good… How about this one?" The second button turned on the radio to fusion jazz.

Robotnik listened to jazz. Okay, why not? But I certainly didn't. I fiddled with a knob changing the station to some good old punk rock. "Much better."

"I _said_ , don't touch my robot, you filthy animal!" Robotnik made some noise behind me and I chanced a quick glance back. He was loosely holding a blaster in one hand.

Well, _kriff._ That was a problem.

At the same time, Sonia's voice crackled onto the com, " _Manic! Have you got this thing under control yet?"_

"Working on it," I said.

"Don't move, hedgehog." said Robotnik, his voice low and dangerous. I heard him cock his blaster and felt the sweat drip down my forehead. Don't lose your cool now, Manic.

I could hear Sonia stiffen. " _Did I just hear-"_

"A fly? Why, yes!" I continued to fiddle with the levers and knobs of the control panel, and had to repress my steadily growing panic as the rejection screen kept popping up over and over again. "I have an _insignificant fly_ up here with me and it is _extremely_ annoying! However did you guess?"

" _Not a_ _ **fly**_ _, moron! Robotnik!"_

"Who's Robotnik? The only thing here besides me is this _insignificant fly._ "

I heard a choking sound from behind me, but I ignored it. Sonia yelled something at Amy that sounded a lot like, " _He's finally lost his mind,"_ but I ignored that too. Suddenly, a small explosion landed to the side of me, barely missing my foot.

"I told you, step away from the keyboard, rodent!" Robotnik shouted. "The next shot will be to _kill!"_

Scrap, scrap, scrap, scrap, _scrap…_ Okay. First thing's first, get that stupid blaster away from him.

I jumped to my feet and purposely fell backwards, landing on top of Robotnik's stomach, which felt kind of like a big, mean marshmallow. As I scrambled to my feet, I quickly grabbed his blaster and pointed it at his face.

"Sorry, _insignificant fly,_ but you've distracted me for way too long. Sayonara, sucker!"

Shaking, I pulled the trigger and was knocked back for real this time by the recoil, skidding to the ground and banging against the metal console. When I gathered enough nerve to look up, I saw that I had missed, leaving nothing but a scorched and smoking patch on the wall behind Robotnik.

"Well, I'll be! That gosh darn _insignificant fly_ got away! Well, try, try again!" I clumsily reloaded the blaster and shot again; I think I almost got him that time.

I took the opportunity to stand up and enter a few more ridiculous commands into the system, only for the rejection screen to pop up once more. Okay, so the button mashing wasn't working. Time to go old school.

"Hey, Tails?" I called on the com, bending down to pry the metal panel off the bottom of the console. "Is hotwiring a robot anything like hotwiring a car?"

" _Um… I've never actually hotwired anything, but I_ assume _the process is similar-"_

"Awesome. That's all I needed to hear." I shot behind me again, unsure of what I hit (but whatever it was, it sure made a loud noise).

" _ **Woah**_ _, wait a minute, you're not-"_

I cut him off before he had a chance to finish. After all, it had been a while since I last hotwired a car and I needed to concentrate- which, I realized would be pretty difficult to do, seeing as Robotnik was _still here._ I wished Sonia had come with me; she was way better with a gun.

"Don't you _dare_ touch a single one of those wires, rodent!" Robotnik bellowed, swooping down to grab back the blaster. I fumbled it in my hand and almost dropped it, but managed to pull back on the trigger just as Robotnik grabbed hold of it. A laser blast shot him square in the chest, slamming him unconscious against the wall. Weird… the settings said that it was only set to 'stun'. Just how powerful were these things?

That gave me an idea. I took a step back and reloaded the blaster, aiming point-blank for the inside of the console. I readied myself to fire, but just before my finger pressed down on the trigger, I stopped; there was something pulsing, glimmering in the back of the console. My curiosity got the better of me- whatever was back there, it was probably really important.

I stretched my right arm through the panel, grasping for the shiny thing. Dozens of wires streamed through into it, leading my fingers to my prize. Almost without thinking, I grabbed hold of the shiny thing; it felt almost like… a jewel.

Suddenly, I felt an excruciating pain that felt like it was creeping up past my wrist to my forearm, and I had no time to repress my scream. The jewel clattered out of my hand and onto the floor, still pulsing from its time as a battery.

What the heck was wrong with me? The only times my hand had hurt before was when I was reading people, and even then it had never felt _this_ bad. And it wasn't like the burn ointment Sonia had given me was doing any good.

Whatever. I had a mission to complete. I picked the blaster with my left hand this time and clumsily fired point-blank into the console, grinning at the sparking wires that looked ready to ignite.

"Hey guys!" I said into the com, "You should be on the safe side and look for cover, I think this thing might explode or something. I dunno. I didn't exactly get this down to a science."

I heard a grunting noise from behind me; Robotnik was waking up, mumbling something about sprocket wrenches. "What in the…" he muttered groggily, rubbing his forehead. He jerked awake at the sight of the quickly burning control panel. "H-hedgehog! This… this is all _your_ fault!"

I figured that now was as good a time as any to run for the hills. Shoving the jewel into my vest, darted over to my first entrance before Robotnik could get at me. "S'long, _insignificant fly!_ Have fun burning in Hades!" I called as I shimmied back up the hatch of shattered glass. I could hear pops of small explosions following behind me and decided to hurry, suppressing my wince as I accidentally slashed my right calf on one of the stray shards. _Man up, Maniac!_

I leapt out of the bot and skidded down the side, tearing the sleeve of my flannel shirt and praying I wouldn't fall and kill myself. Behind me, the robot was malfunctioning just the way I hoped it would; sparks were flying and the way the bot was moving reminded me of a drunk hobo wandering into traffic. The bot's headlights flickered and went out just before the whole thing came crashing down. I sprinted over to Team Sonic, who were still busy getting rid of the last few badniks.

" _Manic!"_ called Sonia, grinning in relief when she saw me. "Oh, thank Chaos… I thought that… nevermind. Where's Robotnik?"

"Still inside the bot," I answered, leaning down to catch my breath. "Hopefully, he'll have died in the wreckage, the lousy son of a-"

I spoke too soon. Just as I was about to unleash a choice string of curse words, a pod erupted from a hatch on the side of the Egg Beater, shooting off into the sky. Of course he had an escape plan. He was too frikkin' _smart_ not to, wasn't he? And just in time, too; the hatch he escaped from burst into flames only minutes after he went flying.

"There he goes!" shouted Knuckles, running forward, his fist clenched. "General, we have to-"

" _No_ , Knuckles. Another day, perhaps," Towers said gloomily.

"But General-"

"Knuckles, after an attack of that magnitude, GUN has neither the time nor resources to go on a wild goose chase after a mad man!" he snapped. "My soldiers are exhausted and what remains of our weapons arsenal can only dream of matching Robotnik's. Now that he has fled the scene, our number one priority is reconstruction of the facility. _Have I made myself clear?"_

Knuckles seemed like he wanted to keep arguing, but kept his mouth shut, looking like he was swallowing a lemon. I thought I heard him grumble something vulgar under his breath, but otherwise, he didn't say a word.

I looked back over to the blazing remains of the Egg Beater; a squadron of GUN firefighters had doused the bot with flame retardant, leaving a trail of ink-black smoke spiraling into the sky.

XXX

An hour later, I was stuck in the GUN infirmary, getting the gash in my leg checked out. I'd need a couple of stitches, but other than that I'd be okay. Wish I could say better for the rest of the team; Amy had fractured her wrist pretty badly, and Rouge had gotten some serious-looking burns from a badnik's missile; Tails had a minor concussion, and Sonia looked like she had dislocated her shoulder. Knuckles was the only one who seemed mostly unscathed, but he's always been a pretty tough dude. He can handle situations like this just fine, even when the team's two heavy hitters were both out of the picture.

I was just thanking my lucky stars that I'd made it out of this funhouse of death without more scars. Unlike these guys, I still didn't consider myself much of a hero. I mean, these guys did this for a _living._ I was just some dumb kid who was good at getting in and out of trouble.

I felt something in my pocket and suddenly remembered what I had in there. As quickly as possible, I tore off my my vest, throwing it to the ground. "I am _never_ touching that thing again."

"Your vest?" Sonia frowned, picking the tattered red thing up. "But you love this thing!"

"Not the vest, the thing _inside_ the vest."

Sonia frowned and dug through the pockets before pulling out the red jewel. "What the-"

"You found a _Chaos Emerald?_ " Knuckles almost sounded impressed. "How did you- Where was it?"

"Inside the robot. It was acting as the battery for the whole thing. Makes sense now why it was so hard to take down from the outside," I stretched my arms out and let out a large yawn. "Well, I dunno about you doofuses, but I'm gonna take a nap. I'm bushed." I got to my feet and began to walk out of the room when someone grabbed my still stinging arm; I had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming. I whipped around to face the General, staring at me with his bi-colored eyes. It felt like he was peering into my soul, the way he was looking at me.

"Not so fast, Manic. We still need to go over the file for this incident, and I have several other debriefings I need you present for-"

I yanked my arm away, glaring fiercely at him. " _Later,_ man."

"The debriefing is _now_?"

"Look dude, I dunno if you can tell," I started, feeling my temper beginning to rise, "but I ain't exactly in the best mood right now. And I ain't one of your agents, either, so don't think you can go ordering me around, capishe?"

The General pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "At _least_ tell us what happened in the robot."

"Later."

Sonia stepped forward, "Manic, come on. It'll only take-"

I whirled around and glared at her, gritting my teeth, "I _said_ **no**!"

She took a slight step back, her eyes wide with surprise.

I took a deep breath and forced a weak smile; What was the _matter_ with me? "Sorry, I… I'm just tired. Bad night's sleep and long winded battles don't mix well. I'll tell you what happened after I get some sleep, 'kay?"

The General looked over at Sonia who nodded a few times, "Okay… I hope you feel better."

I smiled and gave a little wave before walking out of the room. I found an empty room before I allowed myself to relax.

And by relax, I meant finally acknowledging the excruciating pain in my right arm. I dropped to my knees and grabbed my wrist; It felt like it had been stung by a scorpion and set on fire at the same time, and the pain seemed to be spreading upward. This burn was _not_ normal, that much was obvious, but seriously? I had touched that stupid gem like two months ago. You'd think that the pain would have faded by now, not gotten worse.

I began to gently pull my right glove. _Maybe I just need some stronger burn crea-_

I froze and stared at my skin for a second before pulling the rest of the glove off. I could feel the sweat dripping down my forehead; this was bad. This was _really_ bad. I reached up and unbuttoned the flannel I had been wearing, pulling it off to expose my injured arm.

... Holy Chaos.

My hand had turned from its regular peach hue to this dulled gray color, reaching up past my wrist and to my forearm. The color got healthier as you traveled up my arm, with my elbow and upper arm looking the same as they always did

My fingers and veins were black. Like I had taken a black sharpie and drawn over them. As you traveled upward they turned more gray then back to normal by the time it reached my shoulder.

Another flare of pain shot up my arm and I had to bite my tongue to keep from crying out. I was no doctor, but I could tell that this wasn't okay. I knew what an infection looked like and figured that this was something like that, but it felt… wrong. Different.

I had to tell Sonia.

" _Woah, hang on a second, genius; we're in the middle of a war zone, if you haven't forgotten! You really think that's a good idea? Sonia's got her own issues!"_

I paused. Sonia was already stretched thin emotionally. I could tell that from standing next to her for two seconds. The last thing she needed was my problems to deal with on top of her own. Maybe I could tell Tails...

" _Oh yeah, sure, go info dump the kid you_ just met _and who was your brother's adopted brother, that's not weird at all. Go right ahead. I'm sure this'll end just_ peachy."

...Or not. No, I'd figure this out myself. This was my fault and my problem. Maybe it was time I listened to Sonia and took some responsibility for myself. I pulled back on my gloves and shirt, trying my best to ignore the sting. Whatever was wrong with me… I could handle it.

I had no other choice.

 **Well… that happened.**

 **What do you think is going on? Answer in the reviews, and we hope y'all enjoyed!**


	51. Plan of Action

**I have noticed a pattern for the past several chapters: action, character, action, character, action… back to character! Sheesh, we need to change things up a little.**

 **Comments on Reviews:**

 **SharpDragonKlaw: Thanks! Hope you also like this chapter.**

 **Megaman07: All heck will be explained. Very soon.**

 **StarlightSparks: Manic has become a reader favorite, and it is not really hard to see why. He's funny and relatable in a lot of sense of the word. Thank you for the review!**

 **MelGamingPlays: Manic! Everyone's favorite to read, my least favorite to write (Halo cleans that all up. The positives of having a co-writer.) Shadow is strong, but he ain't invincible, is he?**

 **NeckBreak: That isn't a bad idea. Amy! Get over here!**

 **ImSoBored246: I love that username. Thanks for the review!**

 **Caisha12: Hey again! *reads review* Um… I'm not sure how to respond to that at the moment. Halo has a tumblr. Look up her username (HaloEssence111) and you'll find her. I don't know if she has a deviantart. We can look you up.**

 **ultimateCCC: *ZAP!* OW! Halo, don't do that!**

 **Hawkfeather: *laughing on the ground* I can't help it! I love how physical your reviews get and- HEY! WE NEED MANIC! BRING HIM BACK! *dives in the portal after you before dragging him back* Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Hope you like this one as well.**

 **Faso: *reads review three times* I will be honest. I HATED writing part of that last chapter. But at the same time, it was fun at certain points. Then again, that is just writing. So one: sorry you weren't as entertained as usual last time. Thank you for being honest, but not flaming. Any feedback is good feedback. Two: Every good tv show has that one episode that you just stare at and go, "why was this written?" I mean, Dave Filoni likes chasing fruit in Clone Wars and Rebels. So at least we didn't chase fruit. XD Not making excuses, just saying- the filler was filler but it was relevant filler. Yay! No random tangents! This chapter will be… different. I don't know if you'll like it, but I hope you do. Thanks for your honesty, and review!**

 **Autumn: *gags* I'm glad we saved you from "The Bachelor". No offense to those kind of shows, but I'm with Manic on avoiding the sitcoms and reality tv.**

 **That Speedhunter: I love how I can just see your thoughts traveling through the review. It made me laugh. And the gifs were perfect (personal favorite: The 11th Doctor yelling, "You can't just do things like that!") I hope you don't just leave your grades to read this. Go do your homework! You have a life to think about! Then come back… Are you back? Okay, continuing. LOL. Get off the floor! *helps you to your feet* Yeah, Tails has calmed down quite a bit- albeit I think everyone needs to calm down and take a chill pill. Explanation to be given in this chapter for how Sonic got infected. *facepalm* Please don't fail your classes because of our story. It will be here, promise! Just… be smart. *cut to next review* Yay! 501! And you… *points at you* You are amazing. That's all I can say, but wow. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **tailsBOOM1992: Hello! *inbox starts dinging* Woah. Um… Okay, so I am going to respond to your suggestions in no particular order to prevent spoilers. 1. That would be extremely difficult and I don't think it could work so no. 2. One was actually planned already and I think you will see it soon. 3. They didn't exist when we planned this story so sorry. It would have been cool though. 4. It doesn't add to the plot, if anything it detracts so as much as I want to, we can't. 5. We might be able to do that. Here's chapter 51! Happy 500 review point! And woah, take a deep breath. We usually have an update every two weeks. Thanks for reviewing and the suggestions! We try and take each suggestion and see if it fits- but don't be offended if it doesn't work.**

 _ **Heads up, guys- there's gonna be some pretty heavy retconning in this chapter, so don't freak out. Just roll with it.**_

 **And a lot of exposition. Like, A LOT. So buckle up. This is a chapter that is meant to "fill you in" or "put you in the loop". Basically, explain what is really going on to you and to the characters so we don't have everyone (including Team Sonic) run around with their arms flailing above them in panic and confusion while Robotnik rains down with rockets and laser fire.** _ **Although I think we filled that quota with the last chapter.**_

 **Onward!**

Tail's POV:

Angel Island is not a place I wanted to spend my weekends. For one thing, Knuckles is a bit too... _possessive_ of his Emerald. For another, it's all ancient runes and 'magic' talk. I'm scientifically minded- not huge on the whole magic thing. The whole concept of supernatural powers beyond explanation just frustrates me.

Yet here I was on Angel Island on a _Saturday_. Knuckles was leading us through the jungle or woods or whatever they were talking about the ancient Echidna culture with Sonia. Apparently, she was a history buff. The more you know.

Manic was somewhere behind me, jumping at every little noise. "What was that?"

I sighed, "A bird. Just like the bird before that, and the bird before that, and the bird before _that_. Sheesh, get a grip."

"Whaat? I'm a _city boy._ I ain't used to all of this… _green_."

" _You're_ green!"

Manic grinned and punched me in the arm, "You know what I mean. ...Hey, did I tell you about this weird dream I had last night? Okay, so I was hanging out in Doctor Strange's sanctum sanctorum when these two teenage girls showed up and tried to drag me away-"

I tuned out after that.

Manic Charles Hedgehog. Age seventeen, ran away from home when he was ten, grew up on the streets as part of a gang, is very interested in a certain bat for reasons I don't understand, and, based on my amateur observations, is most definitely ADHD. He's an incurable kleptomaniac and a happy-go-lucky rule breaker, and doesn't seem to mind hurting people if he thinks they've "got it coming to 'em". That's about the opposite of Sonic, who's the farthest thing from a criminal that I know. Manic?... not so much.

Yet somehow I felt this… connection to him. Maybe it was just the grief of losing Sonic and the subconscious need for a brotherly figure. But honestly, I didn't think it mattered at the moment. May as well as enjoy it while it lasted before-

I cut off that thought and called out to Knuckles, "So, what exactly is this trip about?"

"We need to try Tikal again." Knuckles looked over his shoulder and smiled grimly, "Shadow said she should be able to help."

I shivered slightly at that memory. No one seemed to know what had happened that day, but one thing struck clear to me: Shadow was giving out final instructions before he shoved us back. Which meant he _knew_ that something was going to happen to him.

" _Do not do something stupid. That-_ _ **thing**_ _is not your brother anymore."_

What did that even mean? How could Sonic not be… Sonic?

The rest of the instructions were just as strange. Rouge got the code phrase which I later found out from the General meant, _Sonic is now classified as a threat. Proceed with caution._ Knuckles definitely had gotten the simplest instructions, but Tikal seemed to be giving him the silent treatment, making them virtually useless.

And now that I was really thinking about it, Manic received instructions too. " _Brace yourself. You are next."_

I shivered again. That was the one that made me the most nervous. Was Manic going to end up like Shadow? But unlike Shadow, Manic wasn't anything special in the physical department, no offense to him. He'd be dead in ten seconds if he was faced in a similar beatdown.

Alright, time to think of something different and get those happy thoughts out of my head. "What makes you think she's going to talk now?" I asked Knuckles.

He shrugged, "Call it a hunch. Last time I saw her was when Sofi- _Sonia_ passed out up here."

Sonia blushed and turned her attention back to the forest. I rolled my eyes. Sonia Aleena Hedgehog. Self-proclaimed fashionista and resident psychic. Also, Knuckles' ex and Manic's favorite person. Other than that, I really didn't care enough for further observations. Sonia and I… we hadn't really talked. At all. And to be honest, I never really wanted to. I had a sister before, Lucy, and Sonia had _nothing_ in common with her. It wasn't like I hated her or anything... I just had no desire to get to know her. Period.

We finally arrived at the center of the island, where the Master Emerald tower was. I ignored the steps and flew up, beating everyone to the top- much to Manic's annoyance.

"Hey, no fair! I can't fly!"

"You have an Extreme Gear board." I shot back, a smile spreading up my face.

"Not _on_ me!" he laughed. "Come back here! I'll race you to the top, fair and square!"

I laughed before yelping and dodging his sudden grab for me. "Only if you catch me, slowpoke!"

We would have continued the game, but Sonia cleared her throat loudly, "Uh, guys? I don't think Tikal would appreciate you running around the Master Emerald like... _hooligans_. And we're here to talk to her, so... how about we all sit down?"

"Aw, lighten up, sis," Manic smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "We're just having fun!"

"You're _acting_ like a little kid!"

"Killjoy."

"Weirdo."

Manic grinned, "Got me there." He sank to the ground and laid down on his back, staring up at the clouds. This was _precisely_ why I didn't want a sister like Sonia. Too much of a control freak.

I sat down next to him and looked at Knuckles, "So… now what?"

Knuckles frowned, "Tikal shows up when she wants. I've never really summoned her before."

Sonia rolled her eyes and marched up to the Master Emerald, "Good morning, Chaos. We were wondering if we could see Tikal- Sooner rather than later, if you'd be so kind."

Nothing happened. Manic snorted, "Did you really think that asking nicely was going to do something?"

Sonia rolled her eyes, "Maybe. Why, do you have a better idea?"

"...Pray?"

"I'm afraid that won't be necessary," said an airy, almost ethereal voice.

Manic's face was priceless as Tikal materialized out of thin air, vaguely translucent but growing steadily more solid. He made kind of a choking sound, scrambling backwards and ducking behind a pillar, peeking out very hesitantly. Sonia didn't seem shocked at all; she just glared at the guardian, her arms crossed, "Why didn't you tell me that Sonic was my brother?"

Knuckles strutted up beside her, taking a similar stance. " _Now_ you show up! Where were you?"

It looked like I was the only one that _wasn't_ overreacting; I just waved, "Hi, Tikal!"

"Greetings, Miles." Tikal nodded back with a friendly smile. She turned to Sonia, "I wasn't aware that Sonic was your brother, Sonia. Being an immortal spirit does _not_ mean I know everything," She then turned to Knuckles, "And the Chaos Force has been difficult to manage as of late, so I've been rather busy. Nice to see you, too."

Knuckles realized he was being rude and muttered an apology. Tikal waved her hand, dismissing it. "All is forgiven. What do you need?"

I took that as my cue, "We need to know what happened to Sonic. Shadow said… he said you could help."

Tikal nodded, her expression grim, "I thought so. Sit down... this may take a while."

I pinched my nose, sensing some exposition on the horizon.

Exposition: a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory. In this case, it was Sonic. Or whatever happened to Sonic.

Knuckles sat down on the ground and Sonia joined him shortly after. Tikal sat down, crossing her legs.

"So," Knuckles started, "Let's skip to the point: What has happened to the emeralds that's made dark energy stronger than the light? Are they _broken_ , or-"

"That is _not_ what happened." Tikal pressed her fingers to her lips. "In order to understand, you need to know some history."

Great. History lessons were not my strong suit. That was more up Amy's alley. But if meant helping Sonic, I had to pay attention.

"Long ago, shortly before I was born, there was an ancient counsel of echidnas, called the Brotherhood of Guardians. They were united in one purpose: to guard the Chaos Emeralds and preserve the sacred echidna culture."

Well, they failed on that last part. Then again, Knuckles technically kept it alive… even if he's the _only_ one keeping it alive. As far as I know, the rest of the echidna race had gone extinct.

Tikal continued, "There were twelve council men, led by the current Guardian of the Master Emerald. In those times, the echidnas lived on the island, protected by the mercy of Chaos and his emeralds."

"Hold it!" Knuckles held up his hand, pausing the girl, "I thought _you_ were the first Guardian."

"I'm getting there." said Tikal, pursing her lips in annoyance. "There were many others that preceded me, but their names have been forgotten or destroyed. The one before me is known by legend only as the Forbidden Guardian."

"That was his name?" I asked, skeptical.

"Oh no, he had a name. But it is forbidden to speak it," she said darkly, her tone cold.

"Why's that?" This time it was Sonia who interrupted with a question.

Tikal frowned, her frustration growing, "If you would _allow me to continue,_ I'll get there!"

I forgot how temperamental Tikal could get. I decided to follow Knuckles' example and keep my mouth shut.

"The Forbidden Guardian was one who allowed his curiosity to consume him. He ripped away at the secrets of Chaos and his abilities; he wanted to possess its power for himself. When the Brotherhood found out, he was stripped of his position and banished from the island. He disappeared, and the Council believed they would never see him again," She paused, her voice becoming quieter, "If only that were true."

I raised an eyebrow, "So what does he have to do with what's happened to Sonic?"

"Patience, Miles. As I was saying, the Forbidden Guardian wandered the land for several years, growing in knowledge and power. He discovered a way to create a new Chaos Emerald- but the energy contained was corrupt, unnatural, and had no restraints. The power from this emerald consumed him, changing him into something not quite… Mobian." Tikal spoke slowly, seeming to struggle with every word. "He returned to Angel Island and attacked. Most of the Brotherhood was killed, and hundreds of echidnas were forced to flee to the mainland with the emeralds. My grandmother remained behind to protect the Master Emerald, which Chaos in turn protected her… and me."

"You were there?" Knuckles asked, his curiosity stronger than his will to remain silent.

Tikal gave him a small smile, "I was only an infant, but yes. I've always felt safe near the Master Emerald and perhaps it was because that's where my grandmother remained until the danger had ended." She shook her head, recollecting her thoughts, "But that is not important at the moment. I was later told that two of the remaining Brotherhood who fled with the others tried to find a way to defeat Dark."

"Woah, wait," I interrupted. "Who's Dark?"

She sighed. "After his transformation, the Forbidden Guardian's name changed in legend to-" Tikal made several noises with her mouth that I was unable to understand, but Knuckles widened his eyes at, "-but the closest translation to your language is 'Dark'. It fits, as he was the first person to fully integrate with the Dark Chaos Energy. You might even say he invented it, in a twisted sort of way."

We exchanged a smile. At least someone around here understood my science preference.

She continued, "Dark grew stronger and more powerful, forcing the echidnas to look outside of their own people for the answer. The two members of the Brotherhood eventually discovered a valley of hedgehogs that lived not far from Angel Island."

Okay, hedgehogs. Now we were getting somewhere.

"The Brotherhood were shocked to find one among them who was strong in Chaotic abilities and true in heart. They trained him to tap fully into the Chaos Field, convincing him to help them defeat Dark.

"The battle was long and hard, the echidnas and hedgehogs versus Dark. Many lives were lost, but in the end, the Brotherhood along with the hedgehog managed to lock Dark inside of his own unnatural emerald. The Brotherhood decided it was too dangerous to keep the Dark Emerald with the other emeralds, as it could lead to the spread of Dark Energy if mishandled. So they took a cave in the Hedgehog valley and fashioned a prison for the emerald to contain this energy, handing over the responsibility of its protection to their allies below, the hedgehogs."

"Woah, woah, woah," Sonia held up her hands in a timeout sign, "Are you saying…? _Oh Chaos…"_

Tikal smiled sadly, "The Protectors, as they were called in legend, were a bloodline of hedgehogs that dated back from that time to the present. The original Protector was your ancestor."

Sonia looked slightly pale. "And Manic and I… is this _our_ fault?"

She shook her head. "You were not responsible for what happened." Tikal gently pointed out, "Your grandfather died before he could fully explain to your family's mission to your then young uncle. Due to how Dark was locked up, only the eldest in the family can actually access the Dark Emerald when the cave is opened."

" _The Eldest lives…"_ Sonia mumbled under her breath. " _ **Maurice."**_

Tikal nodded again, "Since your uncle has had no offspring of his own and Maurice has passed his sixteenth birthday, he is the technical Protector of the Dark Emerald."

If I hadn't been sitting down, I think I might have fallen over in shock. Instead, I leaned back against the pillar behind me trying to comprehend what had just been dumped into my head. "Sonic is… a Guardian?"

"Of sorts. His job is slightly different then Knuckles."

Knuckles had an expression of confusion and slight horror, "So Sonic… he's tapped into the Dark Emerald from the cave?"

"Not… exactly." said Tikal, averting her gaze.

I threw my hands in the air; This was taking way too long and becoming far too confusing. "Then _what happened?_ "

Tikal folded her hands in front of her, looking stressed. "The way I understand it, when Sonia and Manic removed the black emerald from the cave-"

"-wait, what?" Knuckles looked over at Sonia who buried her face in her hands. Tikal chose to ignore him and continued talking.

"-they accidently disrupted the lock on the black emerald and leaked some of Dark's energy into the Chaos field. At the same time, Sonic was fighting Robotnik absorbed the energy of the Chaos Emeralds in order to defeat Metal Shadow-"

I remembered that. It was terrifying.

"-and that was the perfect exit ticket for Dark."

We sat there in silence for a moment before Knuckles broke it.

"Are you trying to tell me that Dark… went _into_ Sonic?"

Tikal nodded, "A better term might be that he _possessed_ him, but yes."

Holy Chaos.

This was bad.

"Of course, he wasn't strong enough then to take control of him. Thousands of years trapped inside such a corrosive object left him unable to take total control at first," Tikal waved her hand, "He needed to weaken his will and break him from the inside out."

And just when I thought it couldn't get any better. " _That's_ why he ran away? Dark forced him to?"

"Indirectly of course, but in a manner of speaking, yes."

Sweet Chaos, this was getting too much. "Alright, let's see if I got this straight: Sonic is possessed by some ancient Guardian who basically invented evil Chaos energy."

"Correct."

Knuckles pinched his nose and groaned, "How do we stop him?"

"That's the tricky part." Tikal frowned, "Once he escaped his prison, the Chaos Field was corrupted. Since he is no longer contained, he is attempting to take control of the emeralds."

"Is this contagious? I mean, could he take control of others that aren't Sonic?" Knuckles asked.

Tikal frowned, "Theoretically, yes. But it would require direct contact with Dark and the subject would most likely need some sort of Chaotic abilities or something similar, like an object that has it or something. Regardless, they'll need some sort of way to patch through the Dark emerald's lock before they can be infected."

I began to grow frustrated, "But how do we get Dark out of Sonic? What's the cure?"

Tikal looked away, saying nothing. I felt my blood run cold. "Tikal…"

She bit her lip, refusing to look me in the eye. "I… I'm so sorry, Miles, I… this isn't the first time someone has been corrupted by Dark Chaos energy… There have been several instances of the energy infecting people in the past, and each time, we've been forced t-to…" She shuddered, turning away. "There's nothing we can do. Sonic is beyond our help."

It was like time had stopped. I couldn't breath.

Sonia looked like she was about to have a mental breakdown. Her whole body was shaking as she forced back sobs; Knuckles hugged her tightly, whispering something in her ear.

Manic finally stepped out from the shadows and spoke for the first time, his arms crossed, "No."

Knuckles looked up. "What?"

"I said, _no._ " he said determinedly. "Look, I grew up on the streets for years, and if there's one thing I learned, it's this: there is _always_ another way out. Don't gimme that crap about Maurice being 'beyond our help'. You're like, a goddess, or... or an angel or something! You've got more power than all of us combined, so _clearly,_ we have options here that you're not telling us about! Or do you _not_ want Maurice to get better?"

Tikal bit her lip, closing her eyes, "There… there is one thing I can think of trying, but I cannot guarantee it would work."

Manic narrowed his eyes. "Try me."

Tikal opened her eyes and turned to look at him, her expression uncharacteristically serious, "Well, we need-" She suddenly cut herself off, staring at Manic in shock. Her eyes widened and the color drained from her face. Her gaze shot down to his right hand; He quickly hid it behind his back and stepped away a few paces, looking nervous.

And just as fast as she appeared, she vanished into thin air.

Manic stared at the empty space for a moment before looking over at Sonia, "I wasn't rude, was I? I mean, like, she ain't gonna come back to smite me or anything, right?"

Sonia shook her head slowly, "I don't think so…"

We all sat in silence for a moment, waiting to see if something happened; it didn't. Tikal wasn't coming back.

Knuckles sighed and got to his feet. "Well… looks like we got all we could out of Tikal." He turned to go back down the stone steps, looking more hopeless than I had ever seen him in my life. "Come on… the others need to hear this."

XXX

The General pursed his lips, "Well… I suppose this is why we plan contingencies."

He was sitting at the head of the table with Knuckles and Rouge on either side of him. I was further down the table, looking over the blueprints for GUN's new weapons system, but my heart wasn't really in it. Amy was sitting across the table from the General, just staring into thin air. Manic was sitting next to me, just looking at his hands, almost dejected. Sonia wasn't even sitting, but standing with her back to the briefing table. All of our eyes strayed away from the empty chair where Shadow was supposed to be.

Rouge spoke up first after a moment of silence, "Sir, with all due respect, I'm not sure the contingencies we planned for Sonic would even work anymore. He isn't Sonic, he's possessed by some evil Guardian."

"But he is still _physically_ Sonic," Towers pointed out. He pushed a button and Sonic's file popped up on the large screen behind him, "The plans could work as a base."

"No." Sonia turned around, her eyes hard, "We're not killing my brother."

Knuckles took a deep breath, "Sofi… he's already dead."

" _No_ , he's not! I refuse to believe it!" She whirled around on her ex, "I saw him. He was there right in front of me. Before he passed out, before whatever happened to him happened, he was there. He's _still there!"_

Knuckles suddenly slammed his fists on the table, "No! He's not!" I physically flinched back at the sudden snap. Amy bowed her head and hid behind her hair. I suspected she was crying.

Knuckles glared at Sonia before turning his gaze to Manic, then me. "Look, I know how you feel. You want to believe that he's still inside fighting, that you can bring him back out and that Dark will just disappear- _but that's not going to happen!"_

I looked down at the blueprints, trying to hold in the tears. "You don't know that," was all I was able to mumble.

"Yes, I do." Knuckles dropped back into his chair. "I saw it happen when I was younger. It's what happened to my mother."

My eyes snapped up, wide with surprise. Rouge looked just as shocked. Manic didn't even flinch at the news, which probably meant he already knew. Figures. Sonia's arms dropped to her sides and her anger deflated. "What…?" she asked, her voice hardly more than a breath.

Knuckles got up from his seat and walked over to the window. He leaned against his arm and stared out it for a few moments. "I was eight. There was a storm… a hurricane. It hit the island so hard, I thought we would fall out of the sky. I was outside when it hit and couldn't find my way home. My parents…" He took a deep breath. "My parents left their shelter to find me. They got seperated and it was my mother who found me. I… I was hiding under some tree limbs. She found me… we ran… And then… everything went white. Then black."

Knuckles didn't speak for a long time. When he did, his voice was so quiet, I had to strain to hear it. "When I woke up, I was back in our house… or what was left of it, anyway. My dad was sitting next to me, and my mother… she was laying on the bed. She was barely moving."

I closed my eyes and tried to calm my pounding heart. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the end of this story.

"My dad refused to tell me what happened for a long time. So you can imagine how I felt when he… when he…." Knuckles closed his eyes and was briefly lost in another time. He took a shaky breath, "That strained my relationship with my dad to almost the breaking point. I grew grateful for the times when he wasn't around. Right before he disappeared for good, he told me what happened.

"I died."

My head snapped back up and I stared at the echidna in bewilderment. He was obviously alive and well. So what had happened?

"Apparently, I got struck by lightning and died instantly. My mother was so… so… _desperate_ , that she tapped into the Chaos Field and brought me back. You can't do that normally- the light side of Chaos won't let you. So she used dark energy to do it."

"But-" Sonia took a deep breath, "But Dark hadn't infected the field back then. Wouldn't that mean she was fine?"

Knuckles shook his head, "You can't just get rid of the dark side of chaos by locking it away. It's always there, but you have to consciously activate it. My mother knew what she was doing, but… she did it anyway."

He took a deep breath, "She was fine for a little while, but then… it all spiraled downhill. I knew something was wrong, and I tried to help her but-" he closed his eyes, "Nothing worked. In the end, she tried to… to…" Knuckles turned back to the window, refusing to look at us. "My dad had to kill her. I saw him do it."

Sonia put her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide.

"And that was just the residue energy- she didn't even utilize that much of it. Sonic is completely _possessed,"_ said Knuckles, his tone rising. "He's not our friend anymore. He could hurt us-even kill us, if he felt like it. If Tikal is right, then Dark has taken total control. We have to… we have to get rid of him. Before things get any worse."

It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. Sonic… Sonic couldn't be gone. There must be _something_ we could do- like Manic said, there had to be another option. There _had_ to be!... right?

General Towers cleared his throat, "I hate to interrupt, but there is also the matter of Robotnik. His attacks have grown to a huge threat in the public eye. We need to insure he is not making any trouble during this… time."

Knuckles snorted, "Robotnik is barely a threat compared to Dark. He's a mosquito!"

"Insignificant fly..." muttered Manic.

Towers scowled at Knuckles, his expression hard and unfeeling. "A mosquito that has killed over two hundred civilians in the last two months, along with two hundred and forty five of my men. This has gone far enough. We need to bring him in within the _week_."

"Well, that should be easy enough," Manic leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. "Just give him a reward."

Okay, I get it. Manic is a jokester by trade: but seriously? A reward? Who did he think he was kidding? This was _Robotnik_ we were talking about.

Manic seemed to have read my mind; a rather frustrated look appeared on his face. "I'm not messing around here! The only way we're gonna get the upper hand nowadays is if we give 'botnik a little incentive."

Knuckles sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll play along. Suppose we _do_ give him some kind of reward- what do you think it'd be? Money? A Chaos Emerald? His own personal city to rule?"

Manic snorted. "You're _way_ off, dude. He doesn't _really_ want any of that- well, maybe the emerald. Nah, Robotnik's drug of choice is _attention._ "

The room went silent. Towers stared at Manic as if wondering which ward of the loony bin he should send him to. The hedgehog seemed to have picked up on this; Manic rolled his eyes.

"Look, I know it sounds like a long shot, but I think you've forgotten that you've got a _mind reader_ over here," he said with a tinge of annoyance. "I got plenty of chances to read him while I was in the Egg Beater, and the biggest thing I could see was that he _hates_ being ignored. Can't stand it. He wants everyone to appreciate his genius, but the scientific community won't give him a chance, not since that one robotics convention forty years ago. So he forces people to notice him in any way he can- mostly by trashing their cities with his inventions, which actually have some pretty brilliant systems. The Egg Beater's firewall was nigh-impossible to break through, I'm ninety percent sure he straight up invented his own coding language, which is _unbelievably_ cool-"

"Manic. Focus," Sonia interrupted.

"Right. Sorry. My point is, all 'botnik wants is a little appreciation. So I'm just thinking, why can't we give it to him?" Manic said, leaning back in his seat and grinning.

The General glowered down at him, "Hedgehog, do you understand the sheer volume of crimes Robotnik has committed in the past thirty-odd years?"

"Yup."

"Then you understand that GUN cannot _reward_ him, of all things! The plan is to _take him down,_ and that is not changing."

"I ain't trying to change that, General. But lemme ask you something- how many times has 'botnik told you something in order to lure one of you into a trap?" Manic countered. "I'm gonna guess a lot. And how many times has he fallen for the same trick?"

Knuckles opened his mouth to answer, but quickly closed it. Manic nodded, "Yeah. Thought so. Well, now you know why it wasn't working- you ain't never tried to trap him with anything he _wanted._ The only reason he's ever tried to take over the world is so he can force everyone to appreciate him. So the answer is simple- _appreciate_ him already!"

I saw Rouge and the General exchange slight looks of interest; but Manic wasn't finished.

"I'm thinking that we send him some fancy letter sayin' he's invited to an awards ceremony for like, advances in the sciences or whatever. He gets a medal or something. We get it all set up to look legit, and after we give him his award, we''l get some soldiers to rush him, and _BAM!-"_ Manic banged his fist on the table suddenly, causing us all to jump. "Robotnik is _history._ "

I ran the plan over in my mind. The logic was... actually sound. Like, really sound. "I could get a forcefield set up around the podium we could trap him in or something," I suggested tentatively.

Amy piped up, "I know how to write a fancy letter. Just tell me the basics of what we want it to say and I'll spruce it up."

"You know he won't show up alone." Knuckles pointed out, "Robotnik might be tempted, but he's not stupid."

Manic grinned, "Tell him that he's welcome to bring some robots as bodyguards. I'm sure we can take care of 'em."

"Leave the medal to me," Rouge flapped her wings and smirked, "I know _just_ what the big man will want." Almost forgot that Rouge went undercover with Robotnik that one time. Made sense that she'd have some dirt on him.

The General, while still looking a bit skeptical, seemed to be coming around to the idea. "It could work, if done correctly."

"I think we can handle a simple trap," Manic grinned. "Robotnik's a smart dude, but we all know he can get blindsided. It's all a matter of playing to his pride."

General Towers nodded, "It's settled, then. Let's get to work."

XXX

Manic's POV:

Man, I couldn't believe Towers actually took my plans seriously. Based on my readings of him, he thought I was a total joke. Well, joke's on him, 'cuz I'm actually _helpful_.

Mostly.

Right now, I was kinda feeling kinda useless because I was just hanging with Tails in his workshop while he tinkered around with the schematics for Robotnik's trap. I was good with computers and cars and stuff, but this was way beyond me. The most I could do was sit and provide amusing commentary.

"Tails is reaching for the wrench… his fingers grasp the metallic edge, he's almost there-"

"Manic."

"-He's moving in! But will he make it? He's going, he's going-"

" _Manic."_

"-And he's GOT IT! Bring out the victory twinkies, this calls for celebration!"

" _Manic!"_

"What?"

"Stop talking."

"Okay."

Guess he didn't appreciate it as much as I did. I got up and wandered over to the corner where T-Pup was slurping up a bowl of machine oil.

"Hey boy!" I said, grinning as the robot licked my hand with its synthetic tongue. Tails had let me take a look at some of T-Pup's blueprints, and I've gotta say, they were something else. I dunno how long it took Tails to finish this, but I know it would've taken me about twelve lifetimes, if that. I grabbed a handful of bent washers and dropped them in the bowl. I didn't know how a robot dog was supposed to sound when it was happy, but I think T-Pup's barking would count as that.

Well, if Tails didn't like the narrating, I guess I could do it by myself. Besides, throwing in a nature special might be kinda fun.

"The robotic dog circled its target, ready to finish off the pile of metallic snacks…" I muttered so only could hear. "Its keen eye and expert programming make it a perfect spare-parts hunter. As it prepares to make its move, the canine instinct wired into its brain begins to spark to life-"

" _-And_ rips the bowl to pieces _. It's a killer… and everyone knows it. Hoo-raay…"_

What the…? Okay, getting a little on the gory side here. Maybe I should switch to sitcoms.

I reached over and scratched T-Pup behind the ears; he must have had some sort of touch receptors embedded in his outer shell, because he seemed to really like it. Tails seemed to have thought of everything.

Suddenly, a surge of pain shot up my right arm, ending abruptly at my elbow. I hissed louder than I probably should've; Tails turned around from his work, looking concerned.

"You okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah…" I tugged my sleeve over my wrist and shoved my hand in my pocket, "I just, uh… I hit my funny bone. You know how that is… it ain't funny." I laughed nervously, beginning to slowly back out of the room. "Hey, I'm gonna get some fresh air, 'kay?"

Tails nodded, reverting attention back to whatever he was working on, "Alright."

Good enough for me. I darted outside the workshop and took a deep breath, trying to clear my head. I was probably just stressed or something. Yeah, that was it. Things had been weird since I'd more or less joined up with GUN. It wasn't easy, pretending like I wasn't scared out of my mind, like I belonged there with the _real_ heroes. Fat chance- I felt like a total phony. I mean, come on- Me? Working for the fuzz? Putting my neck on the line to save a handful of strangers? Not in a million years.

...Unless Maurice was on the line.

 _Our hero, the studly and awesome Matthews "Maniac" Hedgehog, pondered his place in this grand trap for Robotnik. As the mastermind of this operation, he wondered-_

" _-how he wound up being such a pathetic waste of oxygen."_

I froze in place before slowly turning to look around. No one was in sight. Weird…

I started again, this time aloud, "Our hero wonders if-"

" _-he should leave. He's no cop. And he ain't too good at pretending, either."_

I whirled around, whipping out my switchblade and flicking it open. "Alright, who's there? Whatever you're trying to pull, it ain't funny!"

Nothing.

" _You're being paranoid. It's just you."_

I relaxed slightly. Ephesus on _slightly._ My knife was still in my hand, but I turned my senses outward. Someone was nearby, I could sense them. But I couldn't tell where they were.

" _Like I said, it's_ just you _. Calm down, idiot."_

No, it's not 'just me'. There's somebody else here who's trying to prank me or something, so you can go ahead and zip it, conscience-

I paused. My conscience didn't sound like that. My conscience was a supremely disappointed Sonia who yelled at me everytime I did something illegal. This guy… this guy sounded like me. Maybe my narration…? But that didn't make any sense. I've done a lot of strange things, but I know I ain't never _insulted_ myself while narrating my life story.

" _First time for everything, kid."_

… And I have _never_ referred to myself as 'kid'.

I took another deep breath and slowly began to peel off my glove and pull back my shirt sleeve. My fingers were just as black as before, my ink-black veins creeping up past my elbow to my upper arm.

I knew Tikal was onto me. Whatever was going on, she knew. She didn't just disappear mid-sentence for no reason.

" _Forget about her. Since when have you cared about what people think of you? Besides, she probably just got spooked by how-"_

"Alright! That's it!" I glared at the empty air around me. "Whoever you are just… just… shut up! Or I'll… I'll… well, I'll do something."

" _What? Whatcha gonna do? Hit me? File a restraining order? Good luck with that, wuss. You can't get rid of yourself."_

"The heck is that supposed to mean? You ain't-" I stopped, frowning. What if…? No. No way.

I never had tried to read myself before. It was a strange experience and difficult to describe. It kinda felt like… reversing my vision. Looking inside myself. Like meditating, but _way_ deeper. I concentrated as hard as I could, doing my best to ignore the voice.

After what felt like an eternity, I got something back- kind of like a 'ping'. My eyes flew open and I fell backwards, catching myself on a tree. My breathing picked up. I had to remind myself that Tails was in shouting distance and to bite my tongue to keep from crying out.

" _Heh. Wimp."_

I swallowed hard. "Stop it."

" _Make me. Oh, that's right… you can't! Shame. Guess I'll just stick around, then."_

I tried to steady my breathing, but I felt like I was on the verge of a full-on panic attack. Someone- or some _thing_ was in my head- and it definitely wasn't me.

 ***deep breath* Holy Chaos, that was ridiculously long… *exhales* Well, maybe not. But the first part of the chapter was so easy to type and then… eh.**

 **Cliffhanger again! Yay!**

 **Any questions about Dark, just ask in the reviews. But here's the simplified version:**

 **Dark is an evil Guardian who was trapped inside the black emerald about a thousand years ago. Sonic's ancestors helped defeat the guy and they guarded the black emerald that entire time. When Sonic's grandfather died before he could tell Uncle Chuck about their responsibility, Dark wasn't as contained and was able to use Sonia and Manic to get free and then infect Sonic via the Chaos field (remember when he went Super and then everything just exploded? Yeah, that was Dark). Makes sense?**

 **Yeah, Halo didn't get it either. I had to explain it several times before she got it.** _ **Partially because I'm a very forgetful person, and partially because it made exactly ZERO sense to me the first couple of times.**_ **So don't be afraid to ask or clarify.**

 **See ya around!**


	52. Visiting Hours

**Good news! We broke the pattern!**

 **Bad news: … well, I'm sure there is some, I just can't think of it at the moment. (Bad news on a completely different subject: anyone else watch Star Wars Rebels? If so, you understand my pain right now. Jacen? Seriously? You had to go there. Also: time travel. Just… WHY?)**

 **And HOLY CHAOS, that is a lot of reviews…**

 **Um, just bear with me, 'kay? My responses are going to be short as possible because of how much I got to answer.**

 **StarlightSparks: Thanks!**

 **MelGamingPlays: I actually like history, but yeah. It was a little… borish. Sorry 'bout that.**

 **Autumn: Thanks! I don't have dogs, but I have chickens… they are a little crazy.**

 **NeckBreak: SPLENDID. That is my new favorite word.**

 **SharpDragonKlaw: Well, we'll just have to see if your suspicions are correct. I love speculation!**

 **Megaman07: …..I have no comment that doesn't involve spoilers so…. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Hawkfeather: Again. I LOVE the physical reviews. They make me happy. Man, if I am ever sad I'm just going to go read all of your reviews. Thanks. *calls Zonic* Hey, I need you to go grap Beta Sonic and Manic from one of our crazy reviewers. We kind of need them… No, I don't have an exact location, just look for a lot of blips from the universe… Well, you're the Zone cop! You figure it out!**

 **ultimateCCC: Actually… *checks outline* Okay, so we will get to that. Eventually. It might be a little bit.**

 **tailsBOOM1992: Gee, I may have to start putting a limit on the number of reviews you can leave… I count eight since last update. Calm down, we haven't died. I promise. Also… I just can't stop facepalming at that first bad Sonic joke. WHY DOES THAT EXIST? I… can't even right now. No, we will not have the Chaotics show up again, and Tails will have a love interest… kinda. More of a crush than anything.**

 **Zosonils: Eh. I'm trying to find a fic where Steve is the Winter Soldier and Bucky is Captain America. All I can find is slash *gags*. So fanfiction is one of those things that you're positive it exists, you just can't find it. And hey! I like your reviews, positive or bad. Hey! We did good exposition! Yay! (we haven't had an exposition chapter like that since Miles from Home). Wow… this story is depressing. I never thought of it like that. Starts out super fluffy… then it ends *spoiler alert*. Keep up your own balance between life and fanfic! Hoping to hear your opinion!**

 **Faso: If we are worse at pacing than Batman v. Superman then I am going to go bang my head against a wall. So check that off the list of 'What this story should not be'. I am glad everyone understood the backstory because Halo didn't. I had to explain it at least five times before she could see the whole picture. Yay! Good character development!**

 **That Speedhunter: I will be honest- I thought the first review was a little abrupt. Then I saw the second one and burst out laughing. I would totally do that. You know, we don't have a wall. But we do have a twelve page outline on a Google Doc plus our brains- and to be honest as we were writing it we were looking things up on the Sonic wiki, cross checking with the video games, and double checking with the tv shows. So yeah, it was a lot of work, but a lot of fun. You know, that isn't a bad idea and Halo and I have something planned that is similar to that, but not quite right. Also, I think that would be pulling a little too close to Captain America: Civil War. And that is the last thing these guys need to deal with. How did that programming project go (I just took a semester of programming so I understand your pain). Now to the third review (gee, what happened to short responses me?): I get a cookie! And I honestly have no idea what I just read…. I got gangster rapping and Robotnik. Whatever. I get a cookie! Fourth review: That works. And yeah, that would probably not be good. And if you hadn't put L8r, I would have been saddened.**

 **MeowthKitty: Thanks!**

 ***gasps* CHAOS! Good thing I'm home sick today. Otherwise my brain would be dead at school.**

 **Okay, let's get this story rolling.**

* * *

Sonia's POV:

I was used to having strange dreams. I had them all the time with my unusual time visions (which for the past who knew how long had been so blurry and chaotic that I couldn't make heads or tails of anything that Chaos was trying to tell me). But this… this was different.

With everything that had happened over the past few days, I found the best place to sort out my thoughts, or just find some quiet, was Shadow's hospital room. Not the most comfortable place in the world, but it was quiet and usually empty because no one liked to be in there.

Something told me I was supposed to be avoiding it too, but since when did I listen to social warning cues?

Which is why after General Tower's very depressing meeting and Knuckles life story, I needed to clear my head.

Shadow looked… well, it was a little hard to tell under all of the bandages and tubes. It was kind of freaky at first, but I guess I got used to it. I either stared out the window, or looked at the floor, or watched the machine pulse up and down. It was steady and soft so I suppose it wasn't a big surprise when I fell asleep in the visitor's chair.

I didn't even realize I was dreaming at first. I was still sitting in a chair and I was still staring at a machine, but it was like everything melded into a new image, a new plane of reality.

The hospital room morphed into something much larger than before; I was sitting in a hard plastic chair that was off on the side, and instead of Shadow's bed, there was some sort of capsule attached to the wall. The machines were still beeping and making noises, but they didn't seem to be connected to anything or anyone. The walls and floor were plain gray, but the wall to my right was a large window, shielded by the glare of an unknown light source.

I got to my feet and wandered over to the window, finding myself looking down at the planet's surface, hundreds of miles above ocean and land. That was when I figured out that I was dreaming.

"Care for a game?"

I whipped around and found myself face to face with Shadow. He sat serenely in front of a small card table, staring intently at a chess board.

I rushed over to the table. "Shadow! Are you okay? I thought you were in a coma! Everyone's so worried, they-"

Shadow held up a finger, silencing me before I could finish. He motioned to the chair on the other side of the board; I hesitated at first, but sat down.

"You move first," he said simply, crossing his arms. Sure enough, my pieces were white. I gave him an inquisitive look, but moved a pawn two spaces forward. He selected a knight, jumping it ahead to the third row of squares.

After a bit, I began to relax; it had been a long time since I had played chess, and back then, my only opponent was Uncle Chuck. Shadow and I played in amiable silence. Shadow played chess differently than my Uncle. Uncle Chuck just barged ahead with little to no planning, but somehow won… or at least that's what I thought. Maybe he just played the game so many times that he had what he wanted to do memorized. Not Shadow. He carefully evaluated the board before moving a piece to his chosen square. It made me slow down and check each piece three times.

After what seemed to be hours, I spoke up, "What is this place?"

"The ARK."

Well, _that_ cleared up everything. "Where is this... 'ARK'?"

"Have you not looked out the window?" he answered without hesitation.

My eyes widened. "So… we're in _space?"_

Shadow moved a rook across the board, capturing one of my bishops. "No."

I put my elbows on the table and rested my head in my hands, leaning forward slightly. "Well, you're just straight to the point, aren't ya?" I muttered, scowling slightly.

Shadow did not respond to the comment, choosing to motion at the board instead. I sighed and examined the pieces for several minutes before moving my knight across the board.

"So if we are not in space," I began slowly, "Where are we?"

"My memories."

I held up my hands in timeout. "Look, I'm the psychic, _not_ the mind reader. Why didn't you mention that first? Besides, how am I supposed to be in _your_ memories if _I'm_ the one dreaming?"

Shadow nodded, remaining silent for a moment as he moved a pawn forward. "That… is a fair point. But we are not in your mind."

For a moment, I didn't understand- until it suddenly clicked. "I'm in _your_ head?"

Shadow nodded, moving one of his pawns forward.

" _How_?"

He paused, lacing his fingers together before pressing them to his mouth in thought. "That is a reasonable question."

Oh, and the other questions weren't? I raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, instead turning my attention to the board while he explained.

"As the Ultimate Lifeform, I possess many Chaotic abilities, some I am not even aware of. So it stands to reason that I possess similar abilities to your brother and yourself."

"So... mind tricks?"

"In simple terms, yes."

I moved my queen forward, taking a knight. Shadow examined the move before capturing one of my pawns.

"Did you do this on purpose?" I asked abruptly.

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Bring you into my mind? No. I suspect that a Chaos Emerald is in the vicinity, most likely being used to advance my healing progress. And with the Chaos field currently…out of alignment, accidents are bound to happen."

I suddenly felt very intrusive. "Oh. Do you, um… do you want me to leave?" even though I didn't have the slightest idea how that would even happen.

Shadow didn't respond at first, but after a moment's silence, he spoke. "It is your move."

I flicked my eyes down and tried to remember where I planned to go next. After a minute or so, I determined it had been my rook and moved it accordingly. The next five moves were done in silence, the only sound being wood on wood.

"Check."

I looked down and frowned before moving my King to safety. "So…"

Shadow looked up, his expression blank. "Yes?"

"Do you know what happened to you?"

His eyes narrowed slightly and I could practically see the annoyance coming off him in waves. He didn't verbally speak but I got the message, ' _I was there. Of course I know what happened.'_

"I mean, do you know how bad it looks?" I said hurriedly.

Shadow relaxed slightly. But only slightly. "I remember falling unconscious after a particularly hard roundhouse kick to the head."

I winced. "Ouch."

"Understatement."

I sighed. "Do you… um… do you want to know what happened? I mean, after you blacked out?" He shrugged indifferently; I took that as a yes. "You suffered multiple major concussions, almost every bone in your body is broken, you lost almost forty percent of your blood, and it looks like your body has been wrapped in a literal cocoon of bandages. There's also an unknown infection in your bloodstream."

Shadow paused, moved another piece, then looked up at me, "I assure you, I am very much alive. My body is slowly repairing itself with help from Chaos energy."

"Makes sense." I moved my rook and took another pawn.

We played in silence again before Shadow spoke up. "How is the situation with Dark?"

I looked up, unable to hide my surprise, "You know about Dark? How?"

"I do not know who he is, but whatever was inside Sonic was _not_ the hedgehog. That much was clear. He introduced himself as Dark."

I gave the quick explanation from Tikal, then filled him in on the worries of the team for Sonic's life. "Knuckles thinks he's beyond saving and General Towers is pretty much useless, but everyone else is determined to try."

Shadow growled, "Idiots."

I glared. "And I'm guessing _you_ think Sonic is gone too?"

"I accept facts," he said, his tone hard and indifferent. "And based upon what you have told me, then I agree with the Guardian. Sonic is beyond our help."

I looked away, staring at a dent in the floor. "...What do you think we should do?"

Shadow didn't answer, placing me in check again. I maneuvered a piece to protect the King. He began to contemplate his next move. The question was sudden and seemingly out of nowhere. "How is your brother?"

I frowned. "You know how Sonic is-"

"Your _other_ brother."

"Manic?"

Shadow gave me another annoyed look. ' _No, the brother who doesn't exist. Yes, Manic!'_

I blushed before hurriedly answering the question. "He's… well, he's Manic."

"Has he been acting... strange?"

"Again: he's _Manic._ When is he _not_ strange?"

Shadow looked up at the ceiling, annoyed. He opened his mouth to speak when suddenly, the room jolted sideways. I fell out of the chair and to the ground, startled.

"What in _Chaos_ was that?" I looked up and to my surprise found Shadow was still in his chair. He looked down at me, his expression unreadable.

"I believe you are waking up." He looked back at the board, avoiding eye contact. "Give my regards to the General."

The room lurched again and I almost screamed.

My eyes flew open and I bit back another scream. A nurse had her hand on my shoulder and had been gently shaking me. She apologized, explaining that visiting hours were over. Did GUN even have visiting hours? I grabbed my purse and slung it over my shoulder, looking back at the comatose hedgehog. The machines were still beeping as if nothing had changed, and that was technically true.

I left without bothering to look back.

* * *

At this point, I knew I should start watching where I was going, but I had always just avoided everyone.

Everyone but Knuckles.

When I came out of the hospital doors I immediately rammed into the echidna. On the bright side, neither of us fell on the ground and I didn't drop my purse.

"Hey," he rubbed the back of his neck. "And sorry. Again."

I looked up, letting a smile slip. "It's my fault. I need to pay more attention." I felt my smile slide off my face, changing to an expression of worry. "What are you still doing here?" I had thought everyone had headed out to play their part in Manic's plan to catch Robotnik. I had to hand it to my brother; he did have his moments.

Knuckles shrugged. "I decided to do my workout in the training center instead of the backyard. Best to leave Tails his peace and quiet when he's tinkering. Otherwise he gets a little… snippy."

I laughed. "Sounds like a good idea."

"Um…" Knuckles shuffled awkwardly, "Do you wanna walk home together?"

I froze. "I… uh… well, I brought my bike here so…"

Knuckles face fell slightly, "Right. Sorry."

"...I could give you a lift?"

Knuckles raised an eyebrow, "No daredevil tricks?"

I rolled my eyes, letting slip a small laugh. "No, of course not. I remember that experience all too well." We started walking over to where my bike was, wrapped in our own thoughts.

"So…" Knuckles started, clearing his throat, "How's Shadow?"

"No changes. At least the doctors are keeping him alive." I thought about bringing up the dream, but decided against it. No need to add another mystery to Knuckles, who was already dealing with the pressure of leading the team in the charge against Dark and Robotnik. "Think he'll wake up?" At this point I had no doubts that Shadow would eventually recover. I was just curious and in the mood for small talk.

Knuckles nodded slowly, "Eventually. He's fallen from space twice. He'll recover from this."

I raised an eyebrow but made no comment. Things had been so weird lately that there wasn't much I bothered to question anymore. Once we had made it over to my bike, I reached in the back to pull out two helmets, handing him one and strapping the other over my head (despite how pointless it was to me. I never crashed).

I swung my leg over the bike, turning around to face Knuckles. "Hop on!"

He did, but very hesitantly, I noticed. I laughed aloud, but didn't comment on how tight his grip was around my waist. It got even tighter when I turned the engine on and pulled away from the curb, but after a few minutes he relaxed. No tricks or stunts- I didn't feel like it anyway.

A few minutes later we pulled up in front of Amy's house. I could see the lights on in the back workshop next door which was probably Manic and Tails messing around with metal.

"So, you're staying with Vanilla now?"

I shrugged, "Manic and I were getting sick of the van and I did _not_ want to live with the two boys. Amy asked Vanilla and they were more than willing to let me stay in their guest room."

I pulled off my helmet and put it away, feeling slow and heavy. I hesitated. The question came out slowly and I almost had to force it out. "...How did it come to this?"

"What do you mean?" Knuckles crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

I sighed, "Knuckles, my entire life I thought Maurice was _dead_. If I had just turned on the news or… or even read a stupid gossip magazine, this whole thing could have been avoided!"

Knuckles didn't answer for a moment, "Maybe…" he started. "But maybe not. Based on what Tikal told us, it sounded like Dark was going to break out at some point. Your family wasn't exactly guarding the emerald or keeping the energy contained. It would have broke eventually, and then we'd be in the same exact situation."

I looked at him, my eyes slightly narrowed, "Are you trying to tell me that all of our choices- _our entire lives-_ were leading to this moment? Like… _destiny_ or some junk like that?"

Knuckles scratched the back of his neck, "Well, it sounds kind of lame when you say it like that, but... yeah." He motioned towards the workshop lights, "Think about it: even if Manic hadn't run away, you still would have left your hometown. Maybe it would have been later, but you would have left eventually. Right?"

I nodded.

"So you and Manic would have probably ended up here, because honestly, Manic would go with you to the ends of the earth. Sooner or later, Robotnik would have attacked the city, and you would have been caught in it. You two still would have fought with your powers and we still would have met. Sonic might have been there, or Dark might have broken free already. Yeah, things would have changed, but we would have ended up here. Probably. I think."

I smiled, "Since when did you get so insightful?"

Knuckles laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head and shifting his gaze downwards. "I… I dunno," he muttered. "I get a lot of time to think, up there on the island. I just… don't say it out loud very often."

I could feel the grin spreading over my features. Before I could process what I was doing, my fingers were clasped over his knuckle claws; he looked up at me, confused, but with the smallest hint of a smile teasing at his lips.

"I've missed you," he said, so softly I almost couldn't hear.

"...Me too."

It took a moment before I realized what was happening. Suddenly, his lips were on mine, mine were on his. I could hear his heartbeat and thought mine would thump right out of my chest.

I couldn't remember the last time I felt this kind of happiness.

* * *

Rouge's POV:

I couldn't remember the last time I had felt this kind of rage.

I come over to Amy's for _five minutes_ to pick up the jacket I'd left there, and instead I get to look at my (admittedly fake) boyfriend and his former gal pal _making out_ on the front porch. Him lying to my face and sneaking off to take her to lunch was one thing. This… this was taking it to a whole other level.

And at this point, I was ready for it to be Game Over.

"Hey Rouge!" called Amy, popping her head out of the kitchen. "I found your jacket, it was over by the- what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Everything's fine."

She raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you look like you're ready to murder someone?"

I glared at her, and she stepped back a few paces- just enough to see out the window at Knuckles and Sonia, who were _still kissing…_ crap.

She began to squeal. "Oh my gosh!" she beamed, grinning from ear to ear. "That is _so cute!_ I knew those two would get together, they're so perfect, they-" She stopped suddenly, looking mortified. "Oh Rouge, I'm so sorry, I-"

I held up my hand to shut her up. _Not_ what I needed right now. I took a deep breath before plastering an entirely fake smile on my face.

"Amy, be a dear and go grab me a cup of tea?" I asked sweetly- Amy didn't even hesitate to take the ticket out of the room. I pulled the curtains shut and sat down on the couch, drumming my fingernails on my knee as my mind ran through the options.

One: Pretend I saw nothing and act like nothing had changed. Sonia would hate it, and I loved seeing her squirm. But… the problem was, Knuckles _also_ hated it, and the charade was straining our already delicate relationship. And at the moment, the last thing we needed was the two of us trying to rip the other's throat out.

Two: Let it go. Let our fake romance just sputter out on its own, don't do anything and watch as whatever happens happens. That would definitely be the easiest solution and would save everyone a lot of stress. But it would also mean I threw in the towel on this whole thing. Not exactly my style.

Three: Play the angry girlfriend card. Call Knuckles a cheater and a snake and several other things- I'd need to make sure that Cream was out of the house before that conversation even started. Sonia and I would probably end up in a yelling match, and Knuckles would most likely join in and 'break-up' with me. And _no one_ 'breaks-up' with _me_.

I don't think a lot of people realized this, but I _did_ like Knuckles. Call me a flirt, but Knuckles had a special spot in my heart. Or at least he had.

Ever since this whole 'fake dating' thing had started, I'd begun to realize a few things. First, the boy was obviously still in love with his ex and I was just his rebound. Second, Knuckles only saw me as a jewel-hungry thief who couldn't be trusted- he's not entirely wrong on that count, but there's a little more to me than just jewels. Finally, he's not my type.

The last one took a while to accept.

It was time to end this little 'game'. I was done.

The door opened and Sonia walked in with this ridiculous grin on her face. What a nitwit. I quickly wiped it off by giving her a little wave and sweet smile. Knuckles walked in right behind her and was much better at keeping a straight face, even though it was obvious that he wished I was anywhere but there.

"Rouge. What are you doing here?" he asked tentatively.

I examined my nails, smiling serenely. "I left a jacket here and came to pick it up. But there is something else I've been meaning to do." I smiled at Sonia, "Hon, why don't you go help Amy in the kitchen, mmkay?"

Sonia looked between the two of us before slowly walking away. I smirked, turning to Knuckles.

"Sit down," I pointed at a seat across from me. Knuckles raised an eyebrow, but sat down anyway.

We sat in a cold silence for a few moments before Knuckles opened his mouth to speak, "Look, Rouge, I-"

"Don't." I held up a hand, stopping him mid-sentence. "I need to tell you something first. I've been thinking about this for a long time now and… I think we need to break up."

In the kitchen something shattered, confirming my suspicions that Sonia was listening in on the conversation. Good.

"You know I'm not one to sugarcoat things, so I won't. The truth is, it's not me, it's _you_." I sighed, maintaining a light, casual tone. I could've been talking about the weather. "Our time together has been... less than ideal. You're sweet, but not my type." I squeezed his hand, "I hope we can still be… _friends_." That word felt so wrong in my mouth; I almost gagged.

Sonia poked her head in, "Um… tea's ready." she said, biting her lip before quickly ducking behind the door. I wasn't an idiot- I could see her peeking through the crack of the door. Amy was probably right behind her, trying to listen to the rest of the conversation.

I smelled an opportunity.

"Don't forget about me, Knuckles," I said, my voice low. Slowly, I leaned in closer and our lips touched; I let it last, savoring it one last time. He might not be my type, but he was still an excellent kisser… who wasn't kissing back. Figures. After a few long seconds, I pulled away, my cheeks burning. Chaos, what was I doing? "No hard feelings, then?"

"Uh…" he stuttered, looking thoroughly confused.

"Great!" I stood up and snatched up my jacket, hurriedly walking to the door, "I have to go check on Shadow at GUN, so I'll see you people later, 'kay?" I rushed outside and slammed the door behind me, leaning back and looking to the night sky.

Sweet Chaos… what was the matter with me? I only kissed him to get under Sonia's skin. It wasn't like me to get all flustered like that.

Ugh… tonight had been an absolute _mess._ I needed to fly. Maybe I could take the long route to the hospital-

" _Ooof!"_

Suddenly, I was on the ground and slightly dazed from my fall. I cursed several times under my breath; Whoever had had the misfortune of crashing into me was gonna get piece of my mind-

"Uh… need a hand?"

My ears perked at the familiar voice; Sure enough, the pair of bright blue eyes and sheepish grin I knew all too well stared down at me, extending a hand. I narrowed my eyes, but tentatively took the hand.

"Heh, sorry 'bout that," he stammered, drumming his fingers on the side of his leg. "Wasn't lookin' where I was going. I'm heading over to Amy's house to hang out with Sonia and I think Cream made cookies, and…" Manic's nervous smile melted into a look of concern, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," I said quietly, looking away. Maybe if we didn't make eye contact, he wouldn't be able to read my mind…

"You don't _look_ okay," he said inquisitively, tilting his head. He shrugged, "But hey, whatever you say. Where're you headed?"

"...Hospital," I mumbled, dusting myself off.

"Shadow?"

"Who else?"

"Fair enough," he replied. "Wait a sec… ain't visiting hours over by now?"

I smirked. "Your point?"

His face split into a grin. " _Now_ you're speakin' my language." He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and began walking down the sidewalk to Amy's house. "Break a leg," he said with a friendly nod.

I hesitantly returned the gesture and was about to spread my wings when a thought came to me. "Wait!"

Manic stopped and turned around, looking surprised. "Yeah?"

"Why…" I faltered, carefully choosing my words. "Why are you acting so… _normal?_ Every other time we've talked, you've done nothing but act like a creepy flirt. What's your deal?"

He looked slightly taken aback. "Uh… do you _want_ me to start flirting with you again?"

"Just answer the question."

"Well, um…" he said, looking determinedly down at his feet. "Look, when I said that I'd back off, I meant it. I get it, okay? You ain't interested in me. Not hard to believe. But I ain't gonna try and push it anymore." His expression suddenly shifted to a look of annoyance and anxiety. "Cuz in spite of popular belief, I ain't some jerkface prick who only cares about himself."

I had the feeling that last bit wasn't directed at me.

* * *

I dropped my purse next to the visitor's chair and plopped down in it, groaning and closing my eyes. Shadow was still in his coma, but most of the cuts and bruises had faded… or at least that's what I was told. It was still hard to see him under the casts and bandages.

The doctors had told me that his body had been slowly healing itself at a rate much faster than it would for most- but it was still too slow in my mind. I could remember times where Shadow had taken a bullet and was walking around a few hours later (against the doctor's orders, but what else would you expect?). This was taking a lot longer and I wasn't sure I wanted to know the reason.

It hurt, seeing Shadow like this. He was supposed to _indestructible_ \- the ultimate lifeform. Him being comatose and stuck in the ICU should never have even been a possibility.

I sighed, looking around at the bare hospital walls. Not exactly a place that inspired much hope. I remembered vividly my first visit here as a patient and felt the barest hint of a smile creep onto my face.

It had been what, a year ago? Maybe two... I had been hit in the head by the butt of an enemy soldier's gun while acting as a bodyguard for GUN's Soleanna diplomat. Everything was a bit of a haze after that…

* * *

 _I woke up a few hours later in a stark white hospital room, with Shadow sitting beside me, staring intently at the wall. My head burned with pain and I let out an involuntary groan; Shadow's eyes flicked over to me, and for a moment I could've sworn I saw a twinge of relief in them._

" _You… are awake," he commented, as if surprised._

 _I smirked. "Thanks, genius, I hadn't noticed."_

 _Shadow didn't even crack a smile, but stared at me with an expression I couldn't read. Finally, he let out a breath, closing his eyes in exasperation._

" _This incident was_ your _fault, Rouge- not mine." he said, his tone hard. "Your technique was amatuer at best. I highly suggest that you invest some extra hours of practice before our next mission- you may not be so lucky next time." He turned away, refusing to look me in the eye._

 _I felt my temper flare and wanted to shoot back with some biting remark about_ his _technique, but my head hurt too much for me to think of anything, much less voice it._

 _Shadow stood up, pausing for a moment, then shook his head as if abandoning his thought. Without a word, he walked out of the room, not bothering to look behind._

 _I wanted to say something, but my pounding forehead and all-too heavy eyelids wouldn't let me. Maybe if I just closed them for a minute…_

* * *

I opened my eyes and glanced up at the clock, doing a double-take; it was nearly two in the morning. Chaos, how long had been out? I had to get going before some nosy candy striper caught me here after hours.

I looked down at the red and black hedgehog one last time, my voice low and hushed, almost inaudible. I smirked grimly, a twinge of sadness stinging in my chest.

"This was your fault. Not mine."

* * *

 **Can I just say that I really like the Sonia Shadow friendship thing. Like, honestly- why is there not more interaction between these two? I really like it.**

 **So this chapter kinda revolved around Shadow- we started with him then ended with him. Kind of weird since he is in a coma, but whatever. This story is already classified as 'weird'.**

 **So this time I have a question for y'all to answer in the reviews- albeit I will not be responding to any of them.**

 **So many of you have speculated in the reviews that not everyone is not coming out alive. Let's just _assume_ that _'yes'_ someone is going to die- (I AIN'T SAYIN' THAT IS GONNA HAPPEN SO DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING)- so here is my question:**

 **Who do you think is going to bite the dust?**

 **Love to see your ideas or speculations. (and maybe I'll make a graph to figure out which character everyone thinks is going to die or something)**

 **Until next time!**


	53. Knock Knock

**Cue the action! & Knuckles.**

 **Let's be honest, Knuckles is just getting dragged along for the ride for most of the games and adventures. It's high time he got his own chapter.**

 **Loved all the reviews, but to save some time and prevent spoilers we will not be commenting this time around. We did see them all. Promise.**

 **Semi-side note: Holy Chaos, I forgot how much people like Tails. I forgot how much** _ **I**_ **like Tails! Kriff, I need to get my love of Tails back! *dashes off to read a bunch of fan fiction* There. Love of Tails restored.**

 **The votes are in! Person most likely to die (according to the readers): *cue Cars Announcer voice* We have a three way tie! Sonic, Eggman, and Tails all got three votes. Uncle Chuck and Shadow got two.**

 _ **And SPOILER ALERT: Eggman will not be dying in this story. Sorry, dudes!**_

 **Halo, why would you tell them THAT?**

 _ **Why not? It's true.**_

 _ **(Oh yeah! And make sure to look for the Sonic X easter egg in this chapter!)**_

 **Without further ado, let us get to the chapter!**

Knuckles' POV:

I was nervously pacing back and forth as the last pieces of the trap were prepared. Tails was busy securing the energy field set up around the podium, and Rouge and Amy were busy finalizing the attack plan with the General. Manic and Sonia were hiding at elevated positions, Sonia acting as a backup sniper and Manic as our commentary on Robotnik's thoughts and feelings.

The plan seemed simple enough: Robotnik walks in, Towers gives him a medal and asks him for a speech, he steps up to the podium, we activate the force field and leave the rest to the soldiers. But in my experience, the simplest plans were the ones that could go horribly wrong. I just has the feeling that something wasn't right.

Or that could just be leftover from last night when Rouge, uh… "dumped me hard" as Manic put it. He seemed really happy about it when Sonia told him how Rouge broke up with me, although not as happy as Sonia. She couldn't stop smiling all night- neither could I for that matter, once I had pieced everything together and started to understand what in Chaos had happened.

Rouge drove me crazy, and not in a good way. I hated that she would lie and manipulate her way into taking what she had no right to, then pretended like it was all okay. Why Manic liked her, I had no idea. Maybe it was the thief thing. I really didn't understand, and when I didn't understand things, I left them in the hands of Chaos and moved on.

'Course, I couldn't feel anything related to Chaos at the moment. Tikal had said something about the Chaos field being infected, and I wasn't about to take any chances. I had decided to completely cut myself off from the field- I couldn't afford to end up like Sonic.

Or my mom.

That meeting had been the first time I had ever told anyone about her. It... wasn't fun to talk about. I brushed aside the thought and tried to refocus my attention to the plan. Robotnik should be coming any minute now- the soldiers were disguised behind the camera and sound equipment, and the snipers hidden in their positions. Tails was busy adding in the last few details of the trap. All that was left was the guest of honor.

…Who seemed to be running late.

Oh, who am I kidding- Robotnik was _not_ going to show up. Manic might be onto something about him wanting attention, but the guy wasn't a moron. Anyone could figure out that this was a trap. _I_ could've figured out that this was a trap.

"You sure about that, Captain Gullible?" muttered Manic through the communicator. I looked up at his hiding spot in the rafters; as usual, he was grinning like an idiot. I didn't know he could read people from that far away.

I really hated when he did that. "Look, can we _please_ focus on the mission? _Not_ on the teammates?"

"Oh, of course! Great idea!- if I were actually on the team," Manic grumbled.

"Manic, you _are_ on the team. That's why you're here," answered Tails.

I frowned slightly. Manic had been a little more… cynical the past few days. I assumed that had something to do with the whole 'we-found-my-long-lost-brother-but-now-he's-possessed' thing- it had finally sunk in. He hadn't been as jokey lately, and when he did try to be funny, it ended up sounding a lot darker than usual. I know that Sonia's noticed this- she's the one pointed it out to me in the first place. I just hoped he'd get his act together before Robotnik showed up, or there'd be trouble.

I felt a ripple beneath my feet and heard the deafening thud of metal on asphalt. Could it…? No. Robotnik couldn't be...

I rushed over to the window and sure enough, an enormous titanium robot was marching steadily closer to the GUN headquarters, shaking the ground with every step. Even from this far away, I could see that it was armed to the teeth- missile launchers were strapped over its arms and torso, except for the arm that wasn't even an arm, but a wrecking ball covered in spikes. Guess he did come prepared for a trap.

"He's here!" I shouted into the com. "Stick to the plan! And whatever you do, _do not_ give away you positions!"

I heard Sonia load her rifle and Manic started cursing softly under his breath. Tails scrambled to finish the last bits of the trap before diving under the stage- and just in time, too. The bot came to an abrupt halt just outside the building, a little too close for comfort.

The shaded glass visor opened up to reveal Robotnik, grinning like he had already gotten his medal. I glared at him out of instinct before I remembered we were supposed to be celebrating him. Chaos, why did Manic have to think of this stupid plan?

The window shattered suddenly, giving me barely enough time to duck under a chair before the shards of glass rained down over the floor. When I looked up, Robotnik was standing proud, flanked by two robots I had never seen before.

"Well, _hello_ , little Guardian!" he chuckled. "Cowering before me already? You're too kind!"

I clenched my fists, but said nothing. I swear, if this plan didn't work…

"Greetings… Doctor," said a deep, gruff voice from behind me. The General marched out of the shadows, his face void of any emotion. Rouge tailed after him, doing her best to look serenely bored, but I had the feeling that she was just as nervous as the rest of us. Or not. You never knew with Rouge.

"General Towers," Robotnik nodded, almost respectfully. "I must say, I was quite surprised to receive your invitation."

"We at GUN thought it appropriate to credit you for your… outstanding achievements in technology," Towers responded stoically.

"Why, General, you flatter me!... Do continue!" said Robotnik with a laugh. "But all joking aside, it's about time I was recognized for my mark on the scientific community. I even brought two of my best examples with me to show to the ceremony attendees!... Speaking of which, shouldn't they be seated by now?" he asked, a twinge of suspicion in his tone.

The slightest of smiles crept onto Towers' face. "On the contrary, Doctor, we thought it to be more suitable if the ceremony was to be filmed- Of course, we'll be broadcasting it on every station this evening. Every citizen in the United Federation will know of your genius."

"Excellent… as they should." Robotnik smiled darkly.

Rouge gave a little wave, "Follow me, Doctor."

I resisted the urge to snap and followed the party of three up to the podium area.

Robotnik eyed me suspiciously, "Why are you here?"

Thankfully, the General answered. I didn't think I would be able to speak without cursing this man's soul to the darkest corners of the underworld.

"Security," said Towers, "Some people here are a little… against this ceremony. But we at GUN hope this is a first step towards a time of peace."

I grunted in reply, halting at the bottom of the stairs on the platform. I glared at Robotnik's back as he ascended.

He was a thief, kidnapper, murderer, and bringer of evil. Maybe that last one was a bit of a stretch, but I blamed him for Dark's release- at least in the long run. If he hadn't killed Sonic's dad, then maybe the family would have discovered the dark emerald and learned how to properly contain it. Maybe.

A buzz from my com snapped me back to the present.

" _Geez, would you pipe down already?"_

I frowned and turned my back on our 'guest' and mumbled, "I can't be thinking _that_ loud, Manic."

" _... Right. Sorry."_

"Be quiet. We don't know what those bots can do. Radio silence unless it's an absolute _emergency_." I said, annoyed. Manic didn't respond, but I could still hear him muttering to himself.

Amy settled into a chair in the front row. Tails joined her a short time later, but he sat several seats away. If Robotnik was suspicious of them, he made no comment.

General Towers spoke first. Something about how it was his deepest honor to announce the Genius of the Year award, or whatever they had tried to call it. I didn't pay much attention; my focus was glued to the two 'demonstration' robots. One was gold and one was silver, and both looked similar to Metal Sonic, but this time it wasn't a duplicate. They were their own creations. Which meant I couldn't guess any gadgets or tools they were loaded with. I silently thanked Chaos it wasn't a Metal Shadow.

Amy and Tails, along with all of the disguised soldiers on the cameras and sound equipment, suddenly started to applaud, snapping me out of my stupor. Towers must have finished because Rouge was standing up, holding a simple red and blue ribbon with a gold metal on the end.

She presented the award to Robotnik before slyly asking if he had anything to say to his audience. To my surprise, Robotnik actually pulled out some notecards and eagerly stood at the podium. The plan… it was actually working. Manic wasn't crazy.

I risked a glance up to where Manic was hiding. He was peering down with a look that clearly said, ' _I told you so.'_ I gave him a slight nod before turning my attention back to Robotnik. The plan was to wait until sometime in the middle of the speech or when he was wrapping it up, whenever his guard was down. Tails was ready to activate the field with a remote and Sonia, along with every other sniper, was ready to shoot the two bots on the spot. Robotnik would probably be prepared, but I was starting to feel a little more confident about this.

We could actually catch him.

I hoped.

Robotnik began, "General Towers, Team Sonic, Team Dark, filthy Mobians, fellow Overlanders. I-"

Outside the building someone screamed. Everyone froze as a soldier's machine gun fired multiple rounds and several more shouts were heard.

"Move! Move! MOVE!"

" _Man down! Man-"_

"CHAOS, MOVE!"

Several small explosions indicated grenades and more guns fired. All the men in the room immediately pulled out their own weapons and trained them on Robotnik.

I marched up the stairs, ready to pound him to the ground, "We had a deal, Robotnik!"

He looked at me, very puzzled. "That's not me."

"Right…" I held up my fist.

Manic's voice stopped me in my tracks, " _He's telling the truth. Whoever that is, it ain't 'Botnik."_

Sonia's voice cackled onto the com. " _But if it's not Robotnik, then who's attacking?"_

The machine gun fire was now dead and the last scream was heard. General Towers ordered his men to face the door, leaving a flabbergasted Robotnik on the stand. "What in the world-?"

I shushed him, jumping to the ground and coming beside Amy, hammer drawn, and Tails, two blasters in hand. The men crouched down, ready to shoot on their General's command.

Silence.

Suddenly my com shrieked to life; " _MOVE!"_ Sonia exclaimed, practically screaming.

The door was blown off its hinges before anyone could react.

XXX

My ears were ringing and my vision was unfocused when I reopened my eyes. Amy was hovering over me, concern laced on her face. She held up a shaky, blurry hand, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

I squinted, "Uh… three?"

"No." She helped me to my feet as my senses started to catch up with my surroundings. The sound of gunshots and people screaming echoed in my mind, but their voices seemed far away. Had I hit my head? It hurt, that's for sure.

" _Reload, reload!"_

" _Captain, behind you-AAGGHHH!"_

" _Markowski, duck!"_

" _Fall back!"_

Amy and I were huddled behind what remained of the podium. I wondered how I got there, but realized it could wait. "Who- who are we shooting at?"

It was only then I realized how hollow Amy's eyes looked. She was holding her hammer in one hand, but the grip was loose and almost reluctant.

"...Dark."

It was only then I heard someone else yelling above the gunshots and the explosions. "MAURICE! _WAKE UP!" Tails._

I sprung to my feet and sprinted from my hiding spot, ignoring the throbbing in my skull and throwing orders out as fast as I possibly could, "Rouge, get the General and any survivors out of this building. Amy, I need you with me on Dark."

I still couldn't see him, but Tails' yells were enough to guide me. I found them facing one another, Tails standing way too close for my liking.

Sonic, er… _Dark_ was grinning sadistically, his eyes wild, like a crazed animal. His fur was such a dark blue it was almost black, and… glowing. If black was a color that could glow. He took a step towards Tails, then another. His voice was soft but clearly carried over the fray of gunshots.

"Aww… you want your big brother, little boy? That's cute," he smirked. "I'd love to let you talk to him, but we can't really do that when he's _dead_ , can we?" Any color left in Tails' face drained to grayish white; Dark took a step closer, the tips of his fingers flickering with glowing black energy.

"What's the matter, kid? Did I hurt your feelings?" he said mockingly. "Here- let me make it better!"

I got there just in time to shove Tails out of the way of the pitch-black chaos spear Dark threw at him. I yanked the kid to his feet and shoved him behind one of the stone pillars. He was shaking, looking like he had seen a ghost.

"What in Chaos were you thinking?!" I whisper-shouted. "I told you, that _thing_ is beyond our help! He's _not Sonic anymore!_ "

"I… I know, I just… I just thought that…" Tails trailed off, unable to respond. He wouldn't have been able to answer anyway, though- Dark fired a few more energy bolts at us and we had to change our positions. I pushed Tails out of the fray and turned around to face Dark-

-and probably my death.

I took a deep breath and braced myself before charging headfirst. Dark just smiled, his eyes widening in crazed excitement. When I punched, he dodged, almost lazily. "Y'know, I thought that you of all people might actually put up a real fight. Silly me."

I frowned, but had no time to respond as he pushed his hands at me and an invisible barrier hammered me across the room and into the opposite wall. _Ow…_

Sonia's voice sounded over the com. " _Knuckles! Are you okay?"_

"No!" I snapped, my temper already flaring. My body groaned and ached in protest as I stood up and attempted to shake off the pain. "Sonia, I need you to take some shots at Dark. You too, Tails. Manic-"

" _What the kriff I am I supposed to do against_ _**that?**_ " Manic shouted into the com, making me wince.

I was about to snap at him about how suicidal this entire situation already was when Manic spoke again. " _Oh, good grief, what is he- Holy crap! Someone stop him, he'll ruin everything!"_

"Who?" I demanded, darting my head in every direction to find who Manic was talking about.

" _Who do you think, knucklehead? ROBOTNIK!"_

Sure enough, through the haze of smoke and bullets, there he was, storming through on a warpath, his gold and silver robots following close behind- I had almost forgotten about him.

"Sonic! What in the world are you doing, fighting GUN? How _dare_ you interrupt my award ceremony in such an unscrupulous manner! Have you any idea how monumentally important this i- Goodness, what happened to your fur?"

Dark whipped around, his eyes glinting with chaotic curiosity. He dropped the GUN soldier whose neck was about to snap, inching closer to Robotnik like a wild animal stalking its prey.

"Huh… _You're_ a new face," he commented, studying Robotnik closely. "How did you know him?"

"Er- Pardon?" asked Robotnik, confused. "Sonic, whatever are you going on about?"

Dark sneered. " _Sonic_ isn't here, old man- he's the old model. _I'm_ the new and improved version. And you… you seem familiar. Are you another one of his silly little friends?"

Robotnik made a sound like he was choking. "WHA- Are… are you- _NO!_ Never! How could you even- enough _games_ , Sonic!"

Dark's expression hardened; I had the feeling it was time for me to get out while I still had the chance. Careful not to call any attention to myself, I crept out over the rubble and started to sprint.

I turned several corners before I felt like I was a safe distance away. "Rouge, how's the evacuation coming?" I called in over the com.

" _About halfway there. We have a few men missing from the main party."_

Sonia's voice crackled over, " _I see them- hallway 14, floor five."_

I grimaced. "Sonia, get them to safety. I'll be there in a minute to help."

Manic let out a long string of curse words before grumbling, " _That stupid idiot just deployed his bots on Dark. Oh geez, is he gonna- HOLY CRAP!"_

Manic's voice died off and Dark's voice echoed through my head, distant but still distinct. Manic must be seriously close to the action. " _Okay…"_ he crooned, his voice low and dangerous. " _Let's test 'em out!"_

The sound of screeching metal and shattering gears blasted through my ears so loudly my eyes watered. I heard someone scream and didn't stop running to find out who. "Manic!" I shouted. "I don't know what just happened out there, but you need to clear the building, _NOW!"_

Manic was too busy cursing up a blue streak to respond, but I assumed he was already running for his life. If Cream had been here, I'd have had an excuse to punch him in the mouth (not that I _needed_ one, but still).

"Sonia, update!"

" _We're headed to the exit and- SWEET MERCY!"_

I screeched around a corner, the exit in sight. "What? Sonia, what's going on?"

" _Get out of the building! It's coming down!"_

A chunk of the ceiling fell to my right, and I bit back my own string of curses as I took off running. "Everyone report! Are you clear?"

Rouge checked in first, " _I'm outside with a few squads of troops and the general."_

" _I'm with Tails. We're clear."_ Amy's voice crackled.

I hit the exit doors, not even trying to open the door, just breaking the glass and tumbling to the ground. "I'm out!"

" _Incoming!"_ Manic's voice screamed.

I frowned before the sound of glass shattering made me look up. A red and green blur fell out of the third story window before suddening halting midair. Manic waved at me from his extreme gear board (the one he _stole_ from me, might I add). "I'm okay!" he shouted, "Where's Sonia?"

I felt my heart skip a beat and turned away, focusing my attention back to the com. "Sonia, you there? Where are you?"

" _Busy!"_

Manic and I shared a look of terror, turning towards the building. Huge cracks as big as me were clearly visible, and large chunks of the building were falling off the building and into the street below.

"Sonia, get out of there _now!"_ I demanded, the fear starting to creep into my voice.

" _Just trust me!"_

Manic was hovering just above me, clearly starting to panic. "Sis?.. Sis, what's going on?"

" _Manic, go right!"_

He complied out of pure instinct and a window on the top story suddenly shattered- and it wasn't from the shaking building. I looked up just in time to see Sonia wave at her brother, then duck back in the building.

Someone screamed and a guard was thrown out the window, clear of the building. Manic yelped and dove to catch him. Another guy didn't even wait for an invitation and just jumped; I ran and caught him with a grunt. He was followed by two other soldiers, which I also caught.

The whole building seemed to tilt sideways, the once-sturdy walls crumbling into rubble. Even from five stories below, I could see Sonia clinging to the pillars for dear life. I felt like every nerve in my body had been both frozen and lit on fire; If she fell, or was crushed by the building- no. No, I couldn't think like that. She _had_ to be okay.

Manic moved faster than I even thought was possible for him, zooming up to her level and yelling something I couldn't quite make out. She leapt off the platform as it toppled beneath her; Manic caught her by the tips of his fingers, barely managing to keep his own balance on the board as they spiraled down to earth. The two skidded through the dirt, sending up yet another cloud of dust and rubble.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Suddenly, I heard a crash from up above; thousands of shards of broken glass rained down over the clumps of wrecked building; I had just enough time to duck under a rock before they reached the ground. I whipped around, staring up at what was left of the GUN facility; Dark stood atop Robotnik's mangled gold and silver robots, even as the structure was collapsing beneath him. I watched him closely as he reached inside the bot's chest, pulling out something small and glittering. Could it be-

" _GAAH!"_ shouted Manic, suddenly clutching his right hand. What, had he broken it or something?

"You! Gimme your binoculars!" I shouted to a guard; he tossed me them without a word. Sure enough, Dark was holding a Chaos emerald in each hand, looking satisfied. Instinctively, I grabbed Manic's Extreme Gear and rushed forward ready to take him down myself, when in the blink of an eye, he vanished.

And just like that, it was over.

We'd _lost._

XXX

Everyone was sitting on the curb as a medic looked us over for any injuries. Tails had some deep cuts and a minor concussion from some falling debri and Amy had sprained her ankle, but that was the worst of it. Everyone was cut, bruised, and out of breath, but at least we were alive.

I wish we could say that for everyone.

General Towers approached us, his steps slow and heavy. "We lost over twenty men. Three are unaccounted for. One civilian got caught in the crossfire and is critical condition."

I bowed my head and clenched my fists, "We're going to need more than just weapons to beat Dark."

" _Dark_ ," Towers growled, "Wasn't the mission. So _why was he here?"_

I narrowed my eyes, "Robotnik had two Chaos Emeralds to power his bodyguards. The energy must have brought him here."

"And where are these emeralds now?"

I took a deep breath, staring at my feet, "...Dark took them."

Towers cursed. I couldn't blame him.

Amy hissed loudly, drawing everyone's gaze. She made a dismissive wave as the medic applied an antibacterial spray to her wounds, "Sorry."

Tails hadn't spoken a word since the building had collapsed, but I guess he was ready to open his mouth. His voice was muffled and I barely understood it, "What… what happened to… to Robotnik?"

That was a decent question. We all looked at General Towers for the answer, but to my surprise, it was Manic that responded.

"He's dead."

I felt my heart skip a beat. "How… how can you be sure?"

"I _felt_ it." Manic pulled his knees into his chest, his glare full of anger and contempt. "He didn't make it out of the building. Pretty sure his body is somewhere in the rubble."

"We've already found it," Towers cut in. "The boys are having a heck of a time trying to get the giant rock off of him, but it's him alright."

"How can you tell?" Sonia asked, raising an eyebrow.

Towers reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, nicked medal. "We found this in his hand."

Something inside me seemed to snap. I couldn't breath. My eyes went to my hands and couldn't move. I couldn't look at anyone and bit back a scream. I felt like the kid I was back on Angel Island, unable to look at my dad after mom stopped breathing. We had _killed_ Robotnik- or were at least responsible for it. It wasn't like the guy was innocent or anything, but… I couldn't look at anyone anymore.

"At least… at least we got out," Sonia's voice was straining to sound light, but I could tell she was having a similar internal struggle with her conscious.

Manic snapped back immediately, "You almost _didn't_."

"Well, I did, and that's what's important. No use in dwelling on 'what-ifs'-"

Manic jumped to his feet, his eyes wild. "You were almost frikkin' killed, sis! What the _heck_ was going on in there?"

My eyes were still closed as I tried to sort out my thoughts. Dark now had two emeralds, that we knew for sure. Why would he want the emeralds? For nothing good, obviously. Was it possible that he could go Super?...

Sonia's response to her brother was dangerously calm. "I was _helping_ the separated men like Knuckles told me-"

I flinched and finally opened my eyes again. Manic was pacing around in circles, a fake, all too cheerful smile on his face. "Oh, _right,_ Knuckles! Well then, that makes it all better!" he said mockingly, narrowing his eyes. "Geez, do you do _everything_ he tells you to?"

"Excuse me?" Sonia snapped. "That was _my choice-"_

"That was your _boyfriend's_ choice," he spat. "One that almost got you buried alive!"

"Hey, that's _enough_ , Manic," I said, stepping between him and Sonia. "I didn't force her to do anything."

He snorted. "You're the _commander_ , genius! You know full well that we're supposed to follow your orders, no matter how stupid or dangerous they might be!"

"Everyone on this team knew what they were signing up for, _including_ Sonia!" I shouted. "If you aren't willing to take a few risks, or let anyone else take a few risks, then _maybe_ you shouldn't be here!"

"I hope you ain't calling me a coward, Knux, 'cuz it sure sounds like you're calling me a coward," said Manic, his voice suddenly very low and dangerous.

I gritted my teeth. "If the shoe fits."

I saw his fingers curl into a fist and for a second I thought he was going to try and hit me, but luckily Sonia stepped in.

"Both of you, quit it!" she demanded. "Fighting amongst ourselves is the last thing we need!"

Manic didn't even look at her, but glared at me. He pushed her hand away, pursing his lips.

"Manic," Sonia stepped forward and took his hand, making eye contact. " _Listen to me._ It was my choice. If you're going to blame anyone, blame me. I would have done it even if he hadn't said anything."

Something seemed to click and he relaxed a bit. Key word being 'a bit'- I could still feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head. After a minute, he turned away, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Fine. Whatever. See if I care."

General Towers broke the awkward silence with a tired sigh. "Everyone head back to GUN Headquarters, I'll join you once I clean up this mess."

"Mess?" asked Tails. "This isn't a mess, General. At this point, I'm pretty sure it classifies as a disaster area." He wasn't wrong; the formerly intimidating facility had been reduced to nothing more than a skeleton of metal beams and crumbled stone and plaster.

The General gave a half-hearted smile, "It's not the worst I've seen."

I stood up and tried to ignore the screaming pains my brain started to account for. GUN headquarters was more comfortable than any hospital anyone had tried to put me in.

Amy finally spoke up, "What are we going to do?"

No one asked her to explain. We all knew what she was talking about.

"Look… until Tikal decides to speak up again," I sighed, "I don't think there's much we can do."

Manic spoke up again, a forced lightness to his voice, "Yeesh, don't you sad sacks ever look on the bright side of things? See the thing is-"

"What _bright side?"_ I interrupted, annoyed. Now was _not_ the time for another stupid joke.

Manic didn't seem to appreciate it. At all. His eyes narrowed and I got the feeling again that he wanted to hit me. "Yes, there's a _bright side_ , Mr. He-Don't-Chuckle. Not that you'd ever have the brainpower to figure it out-"

Tails rested his head in his hands, clearly exasperated, "Oh for Chaos sake, just tell us already!"

Manic nodded to Tails, forcing a smile. "Thank you, Tails. As I was about to say before I was so _rudely_ interrupted…" He took a moment to glance at me again. Chaos, what is his problem? "Yours truly took the opportunity to read Dark back there, and shocker!- He's not being totally upfront with us about everything."

"What? What are you talking about?" asked Amy, sounding frantic. Manic stared down to his right, refusing to look any of us in the eye.

"Well... for one thing, Maurice ain't dead."

XXX

 _ **Hey, remember what I said about Eggman not dying in this story? That was totally true!**_

 _ **Because it's ROBOTNIK who kicks the bucket, suckas!**_

 ***facepalm* HALO!**

 **So…. that just happened. I totally forgot Robotnik died in this chapter so I should have asked the question AFTER this one. Or earlier. Oh well. What's done is done.**

 **So clarification: Robotnik is NOT Eggman. In this story, they are two seperate people. I thought we mentioned this, but apparently not so, our bad. Sorry!**

 **And for curiosity's sake and so you don't have to read the reviews, here was the actual score sheet.**

 **Sonic: 3  
Eggman: 3**

 **Tails: 3**

" **Anyone BUT Tails": 2**

 **Shadow: 2**

 **Uncle Chuck: 2  
Robotnik: 1 (WINNER!)  
Dark: 1  
Alex Prower: 1 (this one made my day)  
Omega: 1  
Towers: 1  
Hope: 1 (She's shown up ****once** **. Why would we kill her? Shadow has enough issues!)  
Amy: 1  
Knuckles: 1  
One of the Triplets: 1**

 **Shout out to the first Guest to review our last chapter! You guessed this chapter pretty much spot on, except the Eggman part. Did you get our outline? *locks outline in vault* I swear, that thing keeps getting out…**

 **Now the only question is, "Anyone else gonna join Botnik?"**

 **Hopefully not because he is in a very bad place right now. The other place is much better.**

 **Anyway, review please and pointless apology on how long this chapter took. To be honest, we just sort of… died off after a paragraph or three. So motivation is at an all time low. (I think it's my "Senioritis" kicking in… Halo has no excuse.** _ **Oh please, Era, I've had Senioritis since eighth grade. Besides, we've both been busy with that**_ **other** _**story, remember?**_ **YOU'VE been busy with that one. I've been busy with a different one. And you never truly hit Senioritis until Senior year, no matter what you claim.** _ **I AM ABOVE THY SIMPLE LAWS OF LOGIC, FOUL PLEBEIANS.**_ **Ex-cuse Me?)**

 **On top of that, I have no time after school due to other obligations. So less time. So here is the pointless apology on the lateness of the chapter. Now please excuse me while I get some much needed sleep. *crashes and starts snoring very loudly***


	54. Aftermath

**Hallow everyone! This chapter just flew off our fingers and onto the doc so... ta-da!**

 **AStoryTellerBook: You are right… mostly. The gold and silver robots are 'Gold' and 'Silver' from the metorex arc out in space in season 3. The ones that Sonic tears apart in about three seconds. And I'm not sure what you're talking about for Sonic Underground.**

 **Zosonils: I had to look that vine up and- WHAT THE HECK? And Knuckles appreciation day should be a thing or something.**

 **MelGamingPlays: 'Spot the reference' is like 'Where's Waldo'- and I can't play the latter. Seriously, I am blind.**

 **Mitha Sentro: Glad you liked MFH and am very happy you like our version of Sonia and Manic. Honestly, the Sonic Underground show could have been really good- if they did like one hundred things differently. And no, you didn't write too much. Hope you continue to read and enjoy!**

 **ultimateCCC: Winner! You found (part) of the reference!**

 **SharpDragonKlaw: To be honest, we thought it was kind of obvious. We never called him 'Eggman' or any of the other versions of that name ('Egghead', etc.). Apparently not. Our bad. And Sonic come back right now! *waits* Or not.**

 **Hawkfeather: Why? Eggman hasn't even shown up? Why does he need to die? Just wondering. Havoc v Dark… Can I see that? Like, please? HALO! Other story: well, Halo has a webcomic I will be helping her on and mine is an Original story (as in a seven book series). As for when they'll be done… I have no idea, at least for me.**

 **Autumn: YOU ARE DONE WITH SCHOOL? Ugh, I am SOOO jealous.**

 **Rowan Jacobs: *reads review twice and just blinks* Uh… I really don't know what to say to this. Part of me is laughing my head off at "lovey dovey", another part is slightly horrified that you would suggest that and the last part of me is biting my lip.**

 **Speedhunter: *reads review and can't stop laughing for ten minutes*** _ **Era, they've discovered our secret. The rest home is no longer safe- we'll have to go on the run. Hand me my cane!**_ ***starts laughing harder* HALO, WE ARE NOT SENIORS. IN THAT SENSE. CAN'T BREATH… *ten minutes later* Okay… I can talk for the advice! And yes, we are still updating. But thanks for the concern! Also something in this chapter may look slightly familiar...**

 **Detta: That is one way of looking at it. Although Maurice going all 'revenge-y' is bad enough. Now we have to deal with possessed revenge-y Maurice.**

 **Well, that was fun. Now let's get chatting with Rin.**

XXX

Amy's POV:

" _Amelia, we need to talk."_

Rin, I can't do this right now. Just… give me a chance to process everything.

Everyone had gathered in the briefing room back at GUN HQ, waiting for the General to arrive so Manic could give a full synopsis of Dark's brain. Or Sonic's brain… Or was it Maurice's?

Chaos, and I thought _I_ had identity issues.

" _Amelia, please?"_

What could possibly be so important that it couldn't wait five minutes?

" _Thy commanding officer will not be arriving for another ten. We can talk."_

I sighed in defeat, resting my head back on the chair. Fine. What?

" _I am... concerned about your comrades."_

I almost laughed out loud. At this point, who wasn't?

" _This is not a humorous situation, Amelia. Dost thou not recall the fact that thy enemy has been found dead, or that the green one has used his black magic to find thy beloved?"_

Wha- of COURSE I do! This was Sonic- _my Sonic-_ we were talking about! How could you _possibly_ think I'd forget that?

" _...I apologize for upsetting thee."_

No, don't- I just don't wanna talk about it, okay? Not about Sonic.

" _He is not the only one I worry for."_

I looked up across the table where everyone was seated; This was one of those moments when I sincerely wished that I had Manic's reading-people-thing. I knew I wasn't the only one hurting, but I guess that fact was finally starting to sink in.

Knuckles sat next to the whiteboard at the end of table, looking- and there was no other word for it- shaken. But why? Was it because of Dark taking the emeralds? Robotnik?... Manic looking like he trying to set him on fire with his eyes?

Seriously, what was that guy's problem? Sonia had told me that he was the type to overreact, but this felt… different. Meaner. I knew that Manic was ready to pick a fight back there with Knuckles, _that_ much was obvious. I get that he was upset about Sonia, but it still seemed like overkill to blame him for everything.

Speaking of Sonia… she seemed to be taking all this rather well. Same with Rouge, but that wasn't a surprise. The only thing that I had seen really affect her was when Shadow went into his coma, but she still got over that faster than any of us.

And then there was Tails. The poor kid had hardly said a word since Dark attacked; he looked like a deer in the headlights, frozen in place. Knuckles had mentioned something about them being confronted by Dark, and I guess that hit Tails pretty hard. I didn't blame him.

The room felt uncomfortably silent. I wanted to say something to break the quiet, but I had no clue as to what. I glanced over to Knuckles again; he looked like he was ready to sink into the floor with the way Manic was staring at him.

Suddenly, Manic jumped up, banging his fist against the table. "Good grief, would you sad sacks quit feeling so _guilty_ already?" he shouted. "You idiots are just pathetic, ya know that?"

"Hey!" said Knuckles indignantly.

"Aw, don't try an' deny it, Red," he spat, his fingers tightening into fists. "Seriously, why the heck are all yous feeling so bad about offing the literal _worst person ever?_ Get a grip already!"

"Manic, sit down," said Sonia through gritted teeth.

"Uh, how 'bout _no?_ " he refuted, folding his arms. "I mean, come on, guys- he was your _enemy!_ And now he's outta your hair forever! You doofuses oughta be _celebrating!"_

"Why should we be CELEBRATING when we are responsible for _someone's death?_ " Knuckles shouted back.

Manic snorted. "Oh please, Knuxsy, it wasn't like he was some innocent little flower, he had it coming. And don't pretend like we were gonna let him live anyway- Only difference now is that we don't have to waste any time giving him a trial."

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, _woah_ , hold up-" interrupted Tails. "What makes you think we were planning on killing him after he was captured?"

Manic stared incredulously down the table. "Are… are you kidding me?" he asked, slowly shaking his head. "So what, we were just gonna, like, throw him in jail and call it good?"

"Well… yeah, probably. Generally speaking, we don't execute our prisoners much around here."

"Most of your PRISONERS haven't slaughtered thousands of innocent people, two of which happen to have included _MY PARENTS!"_

Me and Tails flinched a bit at his sudden rise in volume; I think he noticed that, but I could've been wrong, because it only made the steely look in his eyes grow harder.

"Fine. You guys still don't believe me? How 'bout I _spell it out for ya?"_

Manic stormed across the room to the whiteboard that had been pushed in the corner, snatching up a marker and scribbling furiously across the board. His handwriting was rushed and messy, so much that I could hardly read it. Turns out I didn't have to.

"'Kay, listen up nerds, 'cuz I'm about to say some things that might shock you- like the fact that Robodork _deserved to die,_ " he sneered, jabbing his finger at his illegible scrawl on the whiteboard. " _He's_ the jerk who kept trying to take over the world. He killed who knows how many people and enslaved even more. And to top it all off, that idiot was the one who brought two robots with _friggin Chaos Emeralds_ inside them to _GLOAT about his 'GREATEST INVENTIONS YET'!_ If that dingus hadn't been so stupid as to bring the emerald-bots, Dark probably wouldn't have shown up and none of this mess would've happened in the first place.

"So _what_ if we're a tiny bit responsible for Dr. Douchebag taking a permanent rubble nap? That prick's been asking for this since day one. If he didn't wanna end up six feet under the GUN facility, then maybe he shoulda rethought his plan for world domination- preferably _before_ he indirectly set Dark loose on the world, might I add."

Manic folded his arms and leaned back against the wall, looking satisfied. Behind me, I heard the beat of a slow, steady clap. General Towers stood next to the doorway, looking at Manic with something that might've been respect.

"I would have personally shown a tad more decorum if I were you, Manic, but your comments were certainly... accurate." he said, walking down the aisle to stand next to Manic. "Despite how it happened, Robotnik is gone, and that was our end goal. Which means we can turn our focus to our next problem: Dark."

I shivered slightly at the name. General Towers pointed to Manic, "You mentioned that you were able to read him. What did you learn?"

" _Well, this promises to be interesting."_

Quiet, Rin. I'm trying to focus.

" _Apologies."_

Manic scanned his eyes over the room, and the feeling of my mind being invaded suddenly washed over me. He took a deep breath, staring down at his feet.

"Alright… so I was watching from the rafters when Dark busted in and started beating up the guards and stuff. There wasn't much to read at that point, but what there was…" Manic shivered. "I don't wanna talk about it. Let's just say that Dark is _messed up._

"Anyway, I was trying to keep an eye on him, figure out when he was going to snap and kill us all and junk like that. Then Tails showed up and tried talking to Maurice-Sonic-yeesh, what are we supposed to call him again?"

I immediately responded with "Sonic" and Sonia said "Maurice." We frowned at one another before Tails spoke up, his voice soft, "He prefers Sonic. I would know."

Sonia looked slightly hurt, but nodded to Manic to continue.

"Alrighty, so Tails tried talking to Sonic. And that's when it got weird." He paused and drew a circle on the whiteboard. "Okay, let's pretend that this circle is Dark's mind. I could read all of his emotions, thoughts, whatever. I could see pretty much all of it. And then-" Manic drew another circle overlapping the other, making a venn diagram, "It was like there was two minds, struggling. One was trying to escape, and the other was trying to hold it down."

"How… how is that even possible?" I asked, almost too afraid to know.

Manic hesitated, putting the marker down. "Well, that's just it. It was like they were one person and then... split into two. But I was able to get a half-decent reading before they merged back into one again. The one that was trying to get free, that was Sonic. It looked like he was having some sort of panic attack. For a minute, the two halves almost totally separated- then Dark had some huge surge of energy and managed to get Sonic back under control. That's why he was moving so slow. If Dark had been in total control, Tails wouldn't have stood a chance."

I tapped my fingers on the table nervously, "So... you're saying that Tails's crazy move actually _worked?_ Sonic responded?"

Manic scratched the back of his neck, "Well... yeah, I guess. It was only temporary, and Sonic wasn't able to get any ground and was locked back up inside Dark's mind, but he _is_ there. We just need to pull him out." He pointed at the circle, "We need to pull them apart."

Knuckles suddenly stood up, "You can't just pull Dark out of someone!- It's _dark chaos energy._ That stuff is pretty permanent."

"Well," Tails interrupted suddenly, "Chaos energy is really just very advanced science. What if we somehow make a… a _shot_ of good energy. Like an antibody. If we give him enough shots, maybe-"

"Miles," Knuckles sighed, "It's not that simple. The Chaos Field requires years of study. You would need an expert on the subject to even make a slight breakthrough."

"Aren't you an expert?" Sonia asked.

Knuckles shook his head, "No. If anything, I'm an apprentice. Tikal would be a good bet, but I don't think she'll be willing to help. She's busy with her own fight of keeping Dark away from the Master Emerald."

So that's what the spirit had been up to. I'd wondered why she had been so reluctant to help us.

"I've done plenty of things with Chaos energy," Tails argued. "I think I can figure it out."

"Tails you need to understand," Knuckles sighed pinching his nose. "Think about it like a battery. You've learned how to properly hook up a Chaos Emerald to a biplane, a measuring machine, and a vacuum cleaner. That's great. But what we're talking about is a biological weapon. You would need to literally _dissect energy_ , find the 'infection' and what causes it, figure out how to fix it, and put it all back together- on a _molecular scale._ You would need someone who knows exactly how to manipulate the molecules of the Chaos field to even know where to start. The only people I can think of who are able to do that are old masters, and they're all dead."

Tails face fell and he slumped back down in the chair, and my heart sank just as quickly. Sonic was alive but we had no way to help him.

" _...I am sorry, Amelia."_

I bit down on my bottom lip to keep from crying. It's fine, Rin. We already knew he was gone.

" _Tis not 'fine'. Thy beloved has been locked away and is out of your reach. I understand your pain."_

No, you don't.

" _Have you forgotten mine own imprisonment in the ring on thy wrist?"_

I rubbed the gold ring, trying not to cry.

" _My own beloved attempted to save me from death. He succeeded, but…"_

Oh Rin, I'm sorry. Really, I am. But that was a long time ago- long enough for you to forget your own name. Perhaps-

Sonia's voice snapped me out of my mental conversation. It was soft and hesitant, but strong. "What… what about Shadow?"

Knuckles frowned, "What about him?"

Sonia twirled her hair in between her fingers, "Would he qualify as an 'expert', as you put it, on Chaos energy?"

"Um…" Knuckles frowned, "I'm not sure."

Rouge leaned back in her chair, "Well, we can't ask him until he wakes up. And who knows when that will be?"

"Actually…" Sonia started, then stopped.

I raised an eyebrow. I recognized that expression. It was a 'I have something weird to share but I don't think I should because people may think I'm insane' expression. I saw it every time I looked in the mirror. "Go on, Sonia."

She bit her lip, "I… I talked to him a few days ago."

"He woke up and you didn't tell anyone?" Rouge snapped, looking upset for the first time tonight.

"No!" she said quickly, "It was like I got pulled into his mind. Like a mental conversation. It was… really weird."

Not the weirdest thing ever, but I can relate.

" _I resent that remark."_

Oh, come on! It's true!

Sonia continued, "Maybe I could try and make contact again. Maybe he can tell us what we need to know." Her voice was hopeful, almost pleading.

Knuckles didn't respond at first, his gaze flipping between everyone. Finally, he sighed. "Well, it's worth a shot. Not like we have any better options."

Sonia grinned, her eyes brightening.

General Towers cleared his throat, awkwardly, "I hate to interrupt, but if your attempt at a cure fails, we need a failsafe. Which brings me to the next subject: How do we kill Dark?"

I flinched, trying not to picture Sonic laying on the ground, still and silent. I didn't want to let that happen.

"Well, maybe Shadow has answers for that, too," said Sonia quietly, her voice growing smaller with every word.

Towers shook his head, "That's only if you manage to successfully make contact again. We need to develop a plan with the information we have now."

"Bullets won't make contact." I heard Knuckles say, flinching at his cold tone. "They're reflected or blasted apart when they get too close."

"And why is that?" General Tower asked.

Knuckles shrugged, "Most likely the Chaos energy around him. Like an invisible ring or shield."

"Blasters?"

"Also ineffective," Knuckles said. "Dark just absorbs the energy, then releases it back like a slingshot. It would be like firing the gun at yourself."

General Towers frowned and began to pace. I nervously tapped my fingers on the table, trying to not think about what exactly they were talking about. They were killing Dark, not Sonic… or at least that's what I kept trying to tell myself.

Rouge spoke up with a suggestion next, "What about a bomb?"

"It… _might_ work, but it would have to be very powerful."

"How powerful?" Towers asked.

"Like, blow up half the continent powerful. Otherwise, Dark would just absorb the energy before it could harm him too much."

Well, that option was out. Rin started to ask what a bomb was again, but I hushed her with the promise to tell her later. General Towers looked slightly uncomfortable as he asked the next question, "Knuckles, if I may, how did your father… uh…"

Knuckles glared at him, then stared down at the floor. "She hadn't gone full Dark, so it was much easier than our situation. Long story short, he poisoned her."

"Could we do that?"

"...Maybe? I know he infused some Chaos radiation into the actual poison to combat Dark's energy. Not sure what poison he used, but I know it took a lot to... finish the job."

General Towers tapped his chin, "I'll get some of our experts to look into that. What about physical attacks?"

"You're… you're kidding, right?" I raised my hand, "I wasn't even able to land a single blow with my hammer, _and_ I got slammed across the area in about two seconds. He might not be in his right mind, but it's still Sonic's body, which means he has _super speed_."

"We cannot rule out everything. If we cannot defeat him outright, we can at least slow him down. Even Sonic has weaknesses."

Knuckles rapped on the table to get our attention, "Dark is like anyone with Chaos abilities. There's a limit and you do have to take some time to recharge. He just has a lot more energy available then all of us, and with two emeralds now, the recharge will take less time- and we only know he has two of the emeralds. He may have more."

Sonia spoke up, "What about the Dark emerald? Couldn't we use that to study the energy and find a weakness?"

I felt another surge of hope and everyone looked at Manic. He shifted uncomfortably and kicked at the ground. "As much as I'd love to say that is a good idea, I... can't. Ya see, the Dark emerald kinda-sorta-definitely vanished from where I hid it around the same time the other emeralds disappeared. I have zero idea where it is."

So that's what it feels like when hope dies twice.

General Towers pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. "Alright then... we'll work with what we have and do our best to keep the world from falling apart. In the meantime, I'm sending in some teams to pick apart some of Robotnik's old factories. Maybe he had some hedgehog doom plan that we can use against Dark. Agent Rouge, I'm expecting you to lead them, since you are the most familiar with his layouts." Rouge didn't look too happy about that, but she gave a halfhearted salute.

Tails raised a tentative hand, "Um… can I come too? I've always wanted to examine Robotnik's equipment- y'know, without worrying that I'd get shot at or captured again," A look of realization dawned on him. "Oh my gosh… I'm never gonna get captured again! This is… this is amazing!" he laughed, looking happy for the first time since Dark had shown up.

I glanced at the General. He didn't say anything for a moment, looking over at Knuckles then at me with a questioning look in his eye. I didn't know what he wanted at first, but then it hit me: Sonic wasn't here to give his permission. Technically, he was still Tails's guardian and did have a say in what the kid did and didn't get to do. And since he wasn't here, that job fell to-

-me and Knuckles.

I suddenly felt like throwing up. Everything seemed to just crash over me at once. Tails was my responsibility now. Sonic was really… gone.

" _Amelia, the General is waiting."_

I swallowed the lump in my throat and gave Towers a small, quick nod; Knuckles did the same.

"I don't see why not," General Towers smiled, "Your tech skills may come in handy."

Tails grinned and jumped out of his seat. "YES! Think of all the leftover blueprints he's probably got lying around- and some of his bots really were genius, I can't wait to see how they work… I'm going to get my toolkit ready! When do we start?"

I smiled. At least there was still something to be happy about.

"Tomorrow, so no need to rush." General Towers looked around, back to business. "If there's nothing else, then you're all dismissed. Get some rest- that's an order."

Everyone slowly walked (or in Tails's case, sprinted out), but I remained seated. My stomach churned as I fought back tears, and I didn't want anyone to see me.

" _Amelia-"_

"Rin, I really can't do this right now," I whispered aloud, letting one tear slip down my cheeks, then two.

" _Then when can you do it? Thou hast to face the situation someday."_

"I know, but can that day just _not_ be today?..Please?"

" _...Very well."_

I slumped face-down over the table and covered my head with my arms, shaking hard. The plan wasn't even to save Sonic, but to kill him so we could end Dark. Knuckles and Rouge had given up on him. I wasn't close enough with Manic or Sonia to have any idea what they'd do, and for all I knew, they'd be willing to let Sonic die so that Dark could be destroyed. Tails still had hope, but I knew he'd never be the same after Sonic was really dead. Neither would I.

I felt someone's hand press down on my shoulder and looked up; Knuckles stood over me, looking just as sad as I felt.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "But this is our only option."

For a moment I felt like shouting at him, saying that he was a quitter and just didn't _want_ to save Sonic. But even in my head, I knew that was a lie.

I stood up and threw my arms around his chest, crying onto his shoulder. After a minute, I felt him hugging me back. I don't know how long we stood there, but after a while, I found that I couldn't cry anymore. I had run out of tears.

Knuckles pulled away, forcing himself to smile. "Sonia said she was making dinner for everyone tonight at Tails's house… you wanna go?"

I took a deep breath and brushed the tears off my face, sniffing. Somehow, I managed to crack a smile.

"Yeah… I'd like that."

XXX

Rouge's POV:

Alright, lemme get one thing straight: I was only here because I forgot to get groceries last week and everywhere else I could go eat is closed from our encounter with Robotnik. In any other situation, I wouldn't be caught dead eating a meal anywhere near that stuck up, goody-goody prig- oh yeah, and her brother too, I guess.

I was sitting in the living room with Amy and Knuckles, watching the coverage of Robotnik's attack and the announcement of his death. Knowing how hated the doctor was, this would probably be an international holiday come next year.

I wasn't surprised to hear that the General was already cooking up some way to get rid of Dark, even if that meant losing Blue. He's always been an "ends-justify-the-means" kinda guy, but I was still curious as to what he was gonna do with Team Sonic when its namesake has been euthanized on GUN orders. Me and Blue were never close, but… I didn't wanna have to be the one to pull the trigger.

Amy looked like she was taking it pretty hard, but it was Tails who I was worried about. Think about it: he's an emotionally unbalanced super genius who's big brother is about to get taken out by his own team, on orders from the government. Only reason why he's okay right is because he's desperate to cling to any smidge of hope. I wouldn't be shocked if after all this, he swears revenge on Towers and becomes the next Robotnik- and he's got the brainpower to do it, too. I was just grateful that he was still just a twelve year old with no idea of what GUN suspected he was capable of. Yet.

"Hey guys, food's ready!" Sonia shouted from the kitchen. Knuckles switched off the TV and hurried into the dining room, Amy trailing behind him. Reluctantly, I did the same, mentally cursing myself for not buying groceries. What I would give for a solitary meal right now…

Everyone gathered around the table and started grabbing plates. A bowl of salad was set on the counter and a pan of macaroni and cheese on the stove. I was about to spoon a portion on my dish when I heard several shouts and thumps from upstairs, followed by Sonia storming down the stairs looking like she was ready to kill someone.

"That _selfish,_ _boneheaded_ little… Errgh!" she seethed, clenching her fists.

Tails looked up from his already half eaten plate, "What's wrong?"

Sonia plopped down into a chair, arms crossed. "Manic is refusing to come down. He hasn't eaten anything since breakfast and his door is locked. Oh, and on top of that, he messed around with the locks so the key I have doesn't work! _Ugh!"_

I rolled my eyes, turning back to the food. Normally, I wouldn't be opposed to listening in on some team drama, but all I really wanted tonight was to go home. Once I ate something, I was out of here.

Sonia muttered something under her breath about not needing to deal with this tonight; I smirked. Something about her discomfort amused me. Probably to the fact that I hated her guts.

"I can bust down the door if he won't open it," said Knuckles, flexing his fists.

"And who's going to fix it?" asked Sonia, exasperated. "This is still Tails's house, not ours."

"Well, can you pick locks?"

"Of course not, that's Manic's thing. I couldn't pick a lock if my life depended on it."

You got that right, sister.

"Rouge… can you do it?"

My head darted up in surprise. "You can't be serious."

"Oh come on, you're the only one here who can actually do something about this. Besides, Manic needs to eat and that door can't stay locked forever."

"Hey, if he wants to hole himself up in his room like some misanthropic loser, who am I to stop him?" I asked, taking another bite of macaroni. "Besides, there's no harm in a little alone time."

Sonia pursed her lips, looking like she had swallowed a lemon. She rolled her eyes, "He also mentioned that there wasn't a person in the world good enough to get through from the outside. But hey, if you don't wanna try, that's fine. I'll just call a locksmith or something. Or if Tails says it's okay, we can always just stick to brute force-"

I stood up so quickly, my chair almost toppled over. "Give me two bobby pins and ten minutes."

Sonia smirked; I wished I could slap her. She handed me the pins from her hair and I headed upstairs. The sooner I got Maniac out of his room, the sooner I got to go home. I bent one bobby pin into an L shape, and the other into a long wire, biting off the rounded edge. A proper lock picking kit would've made this easier, but these would do.

It took me a couple of tries to loosen up the tumblers; Whatever Manic had done to this door, he had done a pretty thorough job. A simple bedroom lock like this wouldn't have taken me more than thirty seconds to undo, but with his modifications, it took nearly fifteen minutes. Finally, I managed to break through.

"Hey Maniac, your sister wants you to eat something. Also, be warned, she ain't too happy about what you've done to your do-" I stopped mid sentence, unable to comprehend what I was seeing.

Manic was standing in front of his mirror with his jacket sleeves rolled all the way up, examining his right arm and shoulder. But that wasn't the weird part.

The weird part was that his entire arm was _black._

He whipped around at the sound of my voice, his eyes darting from me to his arm, then to me again. He hastily tried to roll down his sleeve before I stopped him, grabbing him by the wrist.

"Explanation. _Now."_

For a moment, Manic had that one look on his face that said he was ready to spill everything. Out of nowhere, he suddenly started looking terrified, the color draining from his face. This was quickly replaced by the expression of stubbornness I was all too familiar with.

"I think the only person who needs to explain anything around here is _you_ , princess. How'd you get in here, anyway? I thought I changed the lock so no one could open it."

"Oh, don't give yourself so much credit, Matthews. You might be able to unlock doors, but keeping them shut ain't your strong suit."

"Okay! Great! I will definitely work on that! Now can you _please leave?"_

I narrowed my eyes and tightened my grip. "Not till you tell me what the heck is going on with your arm."

"Nothing! I'm fine!"

"That's a lie if I've ever heard one. I might not be a doctor, but any moron can tell that having a _pitch black arm_ ain't natural. Now spill!"

"I _said_ I'm _fine!_ And let go of my hand, I think you're cutting off my circulation."

I paused for a moment before releasing him, crossing my arms.

"Fine," I said with a smirk. "Don't tell me. I'm sure Sonia can squeeze the answers out of you better than I can, anyway." I turned around and began to walk out, reaching the door before I felt Manic grab my shoulder.

"No!" he shouted, looking frantic. He cleared his throat and straightened himself out to look more confident. As if I couldn't see right through that.

"I mean…" he started again. "You don't need to do that, Rouge."

"You're right. I don't. And I won't if you'll tell me what's going on."

Manic didn't speak to me for a moment, muttering something I couldn't hear. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"Okay… fine. I'm gonna level with you here. I don't really understand what's happening, but… I think I've got an okay idea."

"Alright…" I replied, starting to feel a bit wary.

Manic sat down, holding his head in his hands. "You know that before me and Sonia got here, we found that one emerald, right? The black one?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I was the one who stole it. And there must've been some seriously freaky magic going on or something, 'cuz that stupid thing _burned_ me."

"You weren't wearing gloves?" I asked skeptically. It wasn't like him to be so careless on a simple robbery job.

"No, I was. The gem burned right through 'em. And ever since then… weird stuff's been happening," he said, glancing at his black hand. "It started real small, just a black spot on my palm, but it's spreading, fast."

"How fast?"

Manic froze, looking like a deer in the headlights. His breathing was shaky and shallow, like he was about to have a panic attack.

"It's all the way to my chest now, and it's hardly been three months," he whispered, barely audible. He looked up at me, his expression dark. "You do the math."

Neither of us spoke for a moment; I was still trying to process what everything meant.

"So that's it?" I asked, breaking the silence. "It's just a... burn?"

He paused, then nodded. "Yeah. A really weird, magical burn."

"Have you tried to cure it at all?"

He looked away, turning his back towards me. "It won't go away."

Something in his tone irked me; I didn't know what, but whatever it was, it was giving me a hunch that he wasn't being straight with me. "Manic, what are you hiding?"

He looked up in surprise, raising an eyebrow. "Nothing. I told you what was going on with my burn, what more do you want from me?"

"Don't sit there and pretend like a black arm is the only thing that's bothering you, Maniac," I hissed. "You've been acting weird lately, and not your style of weird, either. Something's wrong, and I've got the feeling it has to do with that burn."

Manic jumped up, livid. " _Nothing is wrong, Rouge,"_ he said through gritted teeth. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll butt out of my business and _stay out of my way._ Got it?"

"Uh, 'scuse me?" I asked, my eyes wide. "I don't think I heard that correctly. It almost sounded like you were _threatening_ me. Wanna repeat that?"

For a second, I thought he was actually gonna say it again. He hesitated, sitting down again and burying his face in his hands, breathing hard and muttering. My anger fizzled out, replaced by worry. Something about seeing him like this… I didn't like it. It wasn't _Manic._

I found myself sitting down next to him, watching as his muttering grew more intense. Most of his words were too muffled to understand, but what I did catch sounded like he was… fighting with himself.

"...Manic?" I said quietly. "You… you okay?"

Manic tightened up again, shying away from my side. After a minute, he shook his head.

"I can't take it," he whispered, clutching his forehead, his voice hardly a gasp. "He's always there, he won't leave me alone, he won't _shut up…_ "

"Who?"

" _Him!"_ he shouted suddenly, making me jump. "He makes me think things, say things I don't mean! No matter what I try to do to get him to go away, he _won't leave!_ "

"Manic, calm down!" I interrupted,grabbing hold of his shoulder to steady him. "Who are you talking about?"

He was shaking hard, looking like he was in pain. He gulped down the lump in his throat and took another deep breath.

"Just… don't judge me, okay?" he murmured, refusing to look me in the eye. "I'm still not sure what's happening, but I think… y'know what happened to Mauri- Sonic?... I think that's happening to me."

I felt the blood drain from my face; No. He couldn't possibly be serious.

"I'm not joking, Rouge," he said heatedly, pushing my hand off his shoulder. "I've seen inside Dark's head, I know what he's like! And every time that… _thing_ talks to me, I get the same feeling."

"...you're really serious, aren't you?" I breathed; I didn't want to believe what I was hearing. Manic was going Dark. Manic- the weird, goofy pickpocket… he was going to end up just like Sonic.

"Manic…" I trailed off, trying to find the right words. "Manic, you have to tell the-"

"No." he interrupted, his voice firm. "That's not happening."

"Manic, this isn't the kind of thing you keep to yourself, this is serious-"

"Team Sonic has enough on their plate with _one_ Dark. They don't need to deal with two," he spat. "I can't do that to them, especially not Sonia- Chaos, I can't do that to Sonia."

"Manic, _listen to me-"_

" _No_ , Rouge! You don't understand!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. "Sonia already lost Maurice once. Losing him a second time is tearing her apart, I can _feel_ it- if she lost me too… it would kill her. I can't hurt her like that. Not again."

"But if you're really infected, then she's going to find out anyway!" I refuted, standing up.

"Not if I can learn to _control_ it," Manic said, a look of determination on his face. "He might be able to make me think or say things, but he can't make me _do_ things, and that's what matters. All he is is a voice in my head- I just have to figure out how to ignore it."

I backed away towards the door; the sinking feeling in my chest was only getting worse. "No, Manic. This is way bigger than just you, and if you can't see that, you're crazy. If you're not going to tell the team, then _I will."_

I whipped around made a beeline for the door, when suddenly, I felt his hand clasp around my wrist, hard.

"I don't think you want to do that," he said, his voice low and dangerous. I had never seen him look so deadly serious before.

"Threats aren't going to make much of a difference, _Matthews,"_ I said through gritted teeth. "The team has a right to know about this. And 'cuz I'm so nice, I'm gonna give you three whole seconds to let me go before I _lose it."_

He released my hand, pursing his lips. "I'm not threatening you, Rouge. I'm _informing_ you. Telling them about my arm isn't gonna end well."

"Wow, thanks for the tip. I'll keep it in mind."

He took a step back, staring at me a little too long. "Fine," he said, his voice suddenly lighter. "That's totally fine. Tell them. I'm cool with that- and hey, I might just return the favor."

I raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, in case you've forgotten, you happen to be dealing with a mind reader here, Angel. But don't worry-" he smirked. "Your secrets are safe with me... Maybe."

"Oh, don't even try that, Matthews," I said, rolling my eyes. "You've told me _yourself_ that you couldn't get into my head. If you think you can blackmail me with information you don't even have, think again."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that," he said, his voice a little too calm for my liking. "I've gotten a little better at reading people in the last few months. After all, the mind _is_ a muscle- I guess you can say I've been working out."

"What's your point?"

He smiled; I felt my blood run cold. "I know things about you, Rouge. Every incriminating secret, every little white lie, I can see it all. 'Cuz your 'mental shields'?" he snorted. "They may as well not even exist. There ain't a lot of perks to having another dude in your head, but my powers getting stronger is one of 'em." His face suddenly darkened. "So go ahead, Angel. Tell everyone about my arm. I'll make sure to visit you in the GUN prison."

I felt my fingers curl into fists. "You're bluffing."

"Try me, sweetheart."

"Want me to? _Fine,"_ I spat. "If you know so much, then what did my parents do for a living?"

He paused to strike an overly dramatic pose, puffing out his chest and putting on an enormous grin, " _Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, step right up and see the Flying Fruit Bats as they soar through the air- no strings attached and no wings necessary! Be amazed as they perform feats of daring never before shown onstage! Only three rings a ticket- you've never seen Acro-Bats like these!"_

Manic leaned in closer, his sly smile only growing. "But watch out for the rest of family- they'll sell you hot dogs and steal your wallet faster than than you can say, 'I want my money back'." He took a step back, looking satisfied. "Think I'm bluffing now, princess?"

I had to steady myself against the wall to keep my knees from buckling beneath me; he knew. He recited the whole stupid slogan _perfectly_. It _wasn't possible._

I looked him dead in the eye, trying to steady my breathing. "Fine. So I was a petty thief and a circus brat, big deal. GUN's known that since the day they recruited me, and _they don't care._ Good luck getting me locked up with that pathetic bit of gossip."

"Oh, Rougey, Rougey, Rougey… don't you get it?" he snickered, shaking his head. "Your whole life's just been one illegal stunt after another- you don't know any other way to live! GUN might think you've turned over a new leaf, but we _both_ know what you've really been up to… Or have you forgotten _Stephanie's?"_

I felt the last ounces of color drain from my face; _Crap,_ he was serious. He was really serious. It was a moment before I realized that my hands were shaking.

"You want me to play your game, Matthews?" I asked, my voice hardly above a whisper. "Fine. I'll play your game. I won't say a word about you or your arm or that stupid emerald, on one condition-"

"Yeah, yeah, that I keep my mouth shut about your addiction to crime. That's cool, I get it-"

" _No."_ I said, cutting him off. "I want you to promise me something."

"...Okay, shoot."

"You might think you can handle this, Manic, but I've got the feeling that you're in way over your head," I said, forcing him to make eye contact. "So you gotta promise me that if there's even the slightest possibility of you losing control, even for a second… you tell them. Understand?"

He hesitated, caught off guard. After a minute, he nodded. "Alright- Yeah, I can do that. Won't ever need to, but if it makes you feel better, then whatever."

"No. _Swear_ it," I hissed.

Manic rolled his eyes and clapped his hand over his heart. "I, Manic Charles Hedgehog, do hereby swear that if I lose control, which I won't, I'll tell the team about my arm and stuff." he said in the most sarcastic way possible. "Scout's honor."

"Like you're a scout."

"Okay, then I swear it on my life."

"That's not good enough."

"... _Ouch."_ he said flatly, looking annoyed. "Fine then, what do _you_ think I should swear on, your highness?"

I paused a moment. "Swear on your sister's life."

"Uh, come again?"

"You heard me," I sneered. "If you care anything about her, you'll fess up before she can get so much as a scratch on her. So do it. Swear, right now."

Manic stared at me for a moment, his expression unreadable; he sighed. "Okay. I swear on Sonia's life. Are you happy?"

I gave him a half-smile, then turned away without a word. When the door clicked shut I finally let out my breath; Holy Chaos.

This wasn't like him. The Manic I knew was a con man and a thief, not a sly dirtbag who threatened to get me locked up. Something was seriously wrong here; Manic wouldn't do this-not to me, not to anyone.

However, I was intimately familiar with how GUN prisons operated; I couldn't go back. Even just thinking about it made my blood run cold.

There was no way out of this. If I told the team about Manic, I might spend the rest of my life behind bars, and that _wasn't_ an option.

I was trapped.

Slowly, I took a deep breath to collect myself; if I was gonna make this work, everything had to seem normal. I waited until my heart rate had evened out somewhat, then straightened my shoulders and headed back downstairs.

I had hardly set foot on the last step before everyone's heads popped up in expectation.

"Did you get it open?" asked Amy, curious. I nodded, refusing to make eye contact.

"Well then, where is he?" Sonia asked, looking annoyed. I turned to face her, somehow managing to keep my expression completely blank.

"He's not hungry."

XXX

 _ **BTW, there was zero Knuxamy in this chapter (although I am personally very fond of that ship). They're friends and their relationship will never be anything but platonic.**_

 **Amen to that… except the ship part. I like them as friends, thank you very much.**

 **Shout out to That Speedhunter for providing some excellent vent dialogue in their review- we liked it so much that we actually ended up including a good part of it in Manic's rant in the first half.**

 **Hope y'all enjoyed. Please tell us what you liked and didn't like in the reviews! Have a great day and happy late Star Wars day!** _ **And also Cinco de Mayo if you celebrate that.**_


	55. Shot in the Dark

**Oh, this chapter… It's all the feels, I swear to Chaos. Reviews (and this time, it will be responded to in ten words or less)!**

 **Hawkfeather: *laughs* fanfic of fanfic. Rouge story will probably happen.**

 **ultimateCCC: Try telling that to Manic.**

 **Megaman07: Uh… *spoilers***

 **MelGamingPlays: True. Very true.**

 **SharpDragonKlaw: Dark Manic equals problems and angst.**

 **Detta: The Flying Fruit Bats Fly Again!**

 **Autumn: Thanks, and have fun with no school!**

 **Infinite's Ruby: Greetings and thanks! Hope to see you around!**

 **That Speedhunter: All good points. Now to wait and see…**

 **tailsBOOM1992: *blinks repeatedly* Uhh….. *scratches head* Alex will-*spoilers***

 **StarlightSparks: Not a bad idea. Had to reread the vision myself.**

 **Guest #1: Update will come right now!**

 **Faso: Dark POV is tricky, so not likely. Rouge backstory? Check.**

 **KrazyCat6167: Long time no see! Glad you are enjoying. AHHH! (;**

 **I really liked doing that. Maybe I will do it every time…**

 **Now the moment you have been waiting for… possibly.**

XXX

Sonia's POV:

I stared at the chessboard for another moment before moving my last knight. Only then did I look up. "Can you tell me all of that again… in smaller words?"

Shadow didn't look too happy about that. Then again, he never looked happy about anything.

It was a few days after Robotnik's death and after several hours of attempts, I had finally managed to… "call" Shadow. He didn't seem excited to see me, but he wasn't annoyed either. The chess board was still set up and not a single piece had been moved. We had played a few pieces as I updated him on current events.

His response to Robotnik's death was pretty neutral. There was no celebratory cheer or even a smirk. He didn't shed a tear or even change his tone. Shadow just 'hmmfed' and motioned for me to continue.

When we got to the question of a cure, he looked up from the chess board for the first time. I was able to see a lace of shock, but it faded as quickly as it had come. "I can attempt to explain the Chaos field, but it is difficult to understand."

"Go ahead. I'm all ears."

The next hour was Shadow talking, which that alone threw me off. Then throw in the sciency talk I couldn't understand a word of and that brings us back around to the present.

Shadow didn't speak for a moment, his eyes fixed ahead but his focus clearly something else. "Look at the chessboard."

I stared at him. Uh…

If Shadow noticed my confusion he did not acknowledge it. "A chess set consists of one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns."

I nodded, still unsure where this was going.

"Chaos energy is similar to this in its own spread."

I blinked twice. Shadow sighed. "The Master Emerald is the king. It is the position of power, the thing you protect. A King in reality holds the power and delegates it out to others. Several millennia ago, Chaos infused thousands of Mobians with Chaos energy. Some Mobians discovered their connection, some did not. Think of the pieces as those infused with the energy."

He pointed at his queen, "The queen would be the guardians of the emeralds. A rook, bishop, and knight would be different types of chaotically empowered Mobians. Pawns would be your simple Mobian- no abilities whatsoever. A little less than half the population discovered it's connection- the others did not. As generations have passed the equation has changed based on discovery. Your energy in your blood is like a muscle- if you do not use it, it fades."

"So it's genetic."

"Genetics are just part of it." Shadow poked at his pawn. "In chess, your pawn is a simple piece that possess no special move. However, it is still an important piece. It can turn into anything you require if it can transport it to your opponent's side of the board. Sometimes Chaos energy manifests in Mobians who have no history of Chaos energy in their family line."

"So..." I smirked, "Chaos is chaotic?"

Shadow nodded. "That is rule number one: The user can never fully control the Chaos field. You can learn how to use it, but in the end, it uses _you."_

I frowned, trying to picture an invisible energy controlling everything I did. All that popped in my head was a puppet on a string. "Ugh. Suddenly, I agree with my Uncle. These abilities aren't worth it."

"Rule number two: your abilities are a gift, _not_ a curse. If you start to think otherwise, then it can have some... unpleasant side effects. Think of it as the relationship of the player to the piece," Shadow placed his arms on the table and leaned forward slightly, "I can choose where to move the piece, but the nature of the piece controls how I move it. I can use chaos energy, but Chaos has rules on how you can use it. If you break the rules, it can result in elimination from the game."

My brain was starting to hurt again. "Back to the cure. How would we make one?"

Shadow moved his bishop across the board before responding. "In order for something to be genetic, it has to be written into your DNA. Your first step towards a cure is to isolate that gene. Tails could use samples from you, Knuckles, and myself."

I frowned. "What about Manic? He has Chaos abilities too."

Something changed in Shadow's expression. It was only a slight change and I couldn't quite place it.

"Yes. You will need Manic as well. It will enable you to isolate the dark energy."

I frowned, "Dark energy? Manic doesn't have dark energy. He's the last person in the world who would go Dark."

Shadow tilted his head at me, "Has Manic been acting... different? More violent? Rash? Angry?"

My frown deepened. "A little, I guess... but you _know_ what things have been like, he's been under a lot of stress lately! There's nothing-"

" _Sonia,"_ Shadow interrupted, "Something is wrong with him. You just don't want to admit it."

"That… that is _not true."_ I protested, starting to feel tense. "Manic is _fine._ He's just... different than the rest of the team, that's all. I _know_ my brother, Shadow, and he is the same he's always been."

He raised an eyebrow. I opened my mouth to argue again when the room's lights suddenly flickered. I looked up at the fluorescent bulbs just as they started surging. "Uh… Shadow, I don't mean to sound rude, but… did you pay the electric bill… for your dreamscape?"

I heard the sound of something falling to the floor and snapped my gaze back to the hedgehog. He had fallen out of his chair and was now lying on the ground on his side. He clutched his stomach, his face contorted in pain. The lights above us suddenly shattered, pieces of glass raining down over our heads and passing right through us. I was just glad this was only a dream.

I hurried around the table and crouched next to him, "Shadow! What's wrong?" I reached out to grab his shoulder, but his hand snapped up and grabbed my wrist with a death grip. His eyes were wide with- _was that panic?_

"You need to wake up. _Now!_ " Without waiting for an answer, he let me go and smacked me across the face.

XXX

Getting smacked back into reality is not something I would recommend to anyone. For one, it hurts, which didn't make a lot of sense since I had not physically been with Shadow. Unfortunately, that was not the main concern I had.

Alarms were blaring and some electronic voice was over the speakers repeating, " _All systems, red alert- This is not a drill"_ over and over again. I stood up from the guest chair and walked over to the door. When I poked my head out, I couldn't see anybody, but someone had dropped a medical tray and the equipment was all over the floor.

What in the world was going on?

Something stirred inside my stomach, like butterflies when you get nervous. But instead of butterflies, the feeling pulled me back to Shadow. He looked the same when I first came in, but something had affected him. I checked the monitor; his brain activity had spiked somewhat, but it didn't look like anything serious.

The feeling tugged at me again; out of instinct, I reached behind the bed and pulled out a chaos emerald. Rouge or one of the doctors must have hid it here to speed up his healing process or something. Made me wonder how many Chaos emeralds we have here and how many Dark has gott-

Something clicked in my brain and my emerald in my hand seemed to glow slightly brighter. My sixth sense kicked into high gear and I felt like running a marathon and punching something at the same time.

 _Oh, you have got to be kidding-_

I dove behind the bed just as the outside wall imploded.

Hours after the incident, General Towers and Knuckles would question me on how I was able to move so fast; I honestly couldn't tell them. After some debate, the three of us determined that the Chaos Emerald in my hand enhanced my abilities, making them almost three times more sensitive than usual.

I was able to see about thirty seconds in the future, which, looking back, was the only way I could've been able to duck under Dark's grab at me and spring up on the opposite side of the room, the emerald still clutched in my hand.

Dark stood up straight, giving me a smirk, "Well, well. You're quicker than you look."

I didn't say anything, but shifted my grip on the emerald, holding it tighter. His eyes flicked down to it and his smirk turned into a scowl. "Looks like you've got something that I need."

"Sorry, it's not for sale." I snapped back.

Dark chuckled, shaking his head. He took a few slow steps towards me, "Does it look like I'm asking?"

I suddenly got the impression to jump upward, flipping over the now speeding Dark; He missed me by only a few inches. I somehow managed to keep out of Dark's grasp long enough to pull my gun out and hit him twice with a stun setting. Not bothering to wait and see the results, I sprinted out of the hospital room down the hall.

I felt like I was moving faster than normal; the hallways were almost a blur. I almost slammed into Knuckles and Rouge, who were running towards Shadow's room. I narrowly avoided running into them, turning the corner and grabbing their wrists to drag them in the opposite direction. Knuckles let out a shout of surprise. "Sonia, what are you-"

" _Run!"_ I shouted, pulling them down the hall.

"What about Shadow?" Rouge protested, sounding frantic.

I raised an eyebrow, "What _about_ Shadow? He's the Ultimate Lifeform, he can take care of himself!"

" _He is in a_ _ **coma!"**_

I didn't answer but kept running, flinging open the stairwell door and jumping over the railing. I fell two stories before grabbing the railing with a grunt, then dropping the last three stories and landing in a somersault. Rouge and Knuckles glided down and landed next to me.

" _Who are we running from?"_ he shouted.

I opened my mouth to respond when the door we just came out blew off its hinges; we hardly had enough time to duck before Dark let out a yell and jumped down after us. I stunned him three more times, only making him lose his concentration for a moment.

Knuckles grabbed my arm and yanked me through a door, Rouge already up ahead. He looked grim. "Nevermind."

The three of us sprinted down the empty hallway, running into another room before slamming the door shut. I raised my gun with one hand, the other still clutching the jewel. It was a moment before I noticed that the room we had run into was the makeshift workplace Tails had set up.

Tails looked up in confusion from his workbench, Manic standing behind him. My eyes fell on the item they were studying and I suddenly felt like cursing; The other emerald we had was sitting out in the open with no security whatsoever.

"Uh…" said Tails. "What's going on?"

Knuckles and I exchanged a look before something slammed against the locked door. All of us took a step back from the door and I tossed the emerald to Knuckles, using both hands to steady my gun.

Knuckles spoke quickly, "Manic, take Tails and that other emerald and _get out_. We'll hold him here."

Manic didn't seem to understand for a moment. The door slammed again, and something seemed to click. "Hold up, are you sayin' that Dark is-"

I interrupted, "Too late." I pulled the trigger before the door was even off its hinges and shot three times; it hardly phased him. I swung the butt of my gun around and slammed it into Dark's forehead, shoving him back a few paces.

Knuckles jumped in and managed to punch him twice while he was still dazed. Dark caught his third punch and threw him almost effortlessly across the workshop. Rouge swooped down and kicked him in the back of the head, sending him right in my line of fire; the two seconds I took to reload allowed him to get up and dodge the table Knuckles had tossed at him.

I stood to help, ready to shoot, when every nerve in my body suddenly felt like lead. I fell straight back down, grabbing my head, my vision swimming. Knuckles lobbed an empty cabinet at Dark, then ducked back behind the counter next to me. "What's wrong?"

"I…" I stuttered, my head throbbing. "...I don't feel so good."

His eyes widened in panic. "Were you infected?"

"I don't think so..." I trailed off. "I think I'm just tired."

He grimaced. "The Chaos Emerald- you must not have been using it properly. If you don't wield it correctly, it drains you." The sudden sound of breaking glass and twisted metal caught his attention; we peeked over the side of the counter and saw Dark ripping a counter into pieces. Someone screamed from behind it and Manic shot out and dove behind another one.

"Ah, the 'pièce de résistance'!" Dark chuckled "I've had just about enough of you. It must be my lucky day, cuz it looks like your defenses have all but run out. Tell you what: I'll make it quick."

My heart seemed to stop and I almost screamed. I didn't know how but I instinctively knew Dark was talking about Tails.

Knuckles must've had the same thought; He looked over to me and squeezed my shoulder before jumping over the counter and charging at Dark.

I managed to crawl to the side and peer around the corner- just in time to see Knuckles get slammed back into the same counter he had just jumped over. He slumped to the ground, either unconscious or too dazed to get up; there was another crash and I heard Rouge cry out in pain, then go silent.

"Like I said, kid: you're all out of defenses!" Dark laughed. "And you're running out of time."

I summoned the last pocket of energy I had left in me and stumbled over to the wrecked doorway, searching desperately for the emerald I had given Knuckles. If I could find it, then maybe I'd be able to stand a chance against Dark, at least long enough to hold him off…

Tails was curled up on the ground paralyzed, his face white with fear, clutching the emerald against his chest. Dark was inching closer and closer to him, looking almost gleeful.

Out of nowhere, a blur of green jumped in, sweeping Dark's legs out from under him. He fell to the ground with a hard thump before a hard, swift kick to the head knocked him to the side.

Manic stood over Dark, looking angrier than I had ever seen him in my life, cracking his knuckles with a grimace.

"Back off, creepy. You ain't touching that kid."

Dark jumped to his feet, annoyed. "Oh, I think I _am."_

"Wanna bet?"

In the blink of an eye, Manic whipped out his switchblade and ducked just as Dark lunged at him, slashing Dark's ankle as he slid beneath him. Dark whirled around, hardly fazed.

"Wrong move, pal," he smirked, looking little more than annoyed.

Dark shot forward in a blur of movement, zipping in front of Manic and pounding at his chest. Manic was knocked back, skidding across the ground on his back. He jumped back up, brandishing his blade with a snarl.

It was almost like watching two wild animals, if one of the animals had a knife and the other could move at the speed of sound. Dark's punches and blocks were quick and speedy, with Manic somehow keeping up. Dark knocked the switchblade out of his hand, his leg flying into Manic's stomach. It was hardly a second before Manic whipped out another blade from his jacket, expertly hurling it at Dark's leg; it missed its target, but still managed to nick a small cut in his thigh. He pulled out two more knives from his belt, wielding them between his fingers like claws.

"How many knives does he have?" Tails demanded to no one in particular.

Manic lunged forward, grabbing hold to one of Dark's quills and yanking it back. Dark latched onto his forearm and heaved him forward just as Manic sliced a deep gash in his ear. He hissed, clutching the wound as spurts of blood gushed between his fingers; Manic smiled, picking himself up off the ground and bounding back towards Dark, blades at the ready.

He flung one knife expertly towards Dark's head; Dark dodged, catching it by the handle as it whizzed past his face. He grinned, zooming up close to Manic and stabbing him clean in the shoulder. Manic cried out once before gritting his teeth and slicing off part of Dark's largest quill; He would have kept hacking at him if Dark hadn't grabbed hold of his right wrist and twisted him forward, slamming Manic against the wall.

"You've got a lot of nerve, don't you?" he snarled, mere inches away from Manic's face. "Have it your way- if I have to go through you to get to the kid, _I will."_

Manic gasped and shoved Dark away from him. But instead to charging back in, he grabbed his wrist, his face contorted in pain. Had Dark broken something? I hadn't heard anything snap…

But Dark looked just as perplexed as I felt. He stared intently at Manic, his focus switching between Manic's hand and his head. A smile crept slowly on Dark's face; he snickered, then laughed.

"So that's your big secret, huh?" he sneered, shaking his head. "That's rough, brother."

Manic looked up in contempt, breathing hard. "Don't you _dare_ call me that, phony. Stealing Maurice's body doesn't make you my brother."

Dark chuckled. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no! You misunderstand. Your _real_ brother's gone- but you and me, we still have a lot in common. We're practically _family."_ he grinned, leaning in closer. "And you know what families do?" he asked. "They _share!"_

Dark grabbed hold of Manic's right arm and squeezed; Manic howled in pain, dropping to his knees. Even from my position on the ground, I could see the sparks of chaotic electricity surging from Dark's grip; each particle of energy embedded itself into Manic's bare flesh like it was some kind of sponge. I wanted to move, to help fight Dark, to do _something_ to get him off Manic-

 _ **BANG-BANG-BANG**_

Dark's cried out, releasing his grip on Manic; He grasped his shoulder as scarlet blood dripped between his fingers and onto the already blood-stained floor. Manic sank to the ground, twitching violently for a moment before he stopped moving entirely.

I turned around to find Rouge, leaning against some bent metal lump, her finger still on the trigger of a smoking pistol. She was breathing hard, her eyes wild with fury.

Dark examined his three still-bleeding bullet wounds, then glared at her; his expression morphed into a serene smile that felt more than a little off.

"It won't matter. Not in the long run," he said, his tone sending a shiver down my spine. There was suddenly a bright flash of light and a loud crack, then he was gone.

Rouge fluttered over to where Manic had fallen, turning him onto his back and pumping her fists over his heart, counting under her breath. I felt a sudden surge of adrenaline and forced myself to my feet, limping over to Manic's side.

" _Is he breathing?"_ I demanded, not bothering to keep the franticness out of my voice. Rouge looked up and for a moment, our eyes met.

I've learned from experience that you don't always need words to communicate. Sometimes all you needed was a gesture, or even just a look. It really didn't take much to convey a message.

I didn't like the message I was being sent.

XXX

Manic's POV:

When I opened my eyes, I couldn't see.

I was lying on my back on a ground that didn't feel entirely solid; it was like fog, but I couldn't sink through. Slowly, I got to my feet, blinking a few times to adjust to the darkness, and after a moment, I was able to make out the shape of my hand through the mass of black smoke enveloping around me. And even though I was standing on it, I couldn't feel a thing. I couldn't even hear anything besides my own shallow breaths.

Was… was I dead?

"Not quite, pal."

I whirled around in surprise; a minute ago, there was no one here but me.

Well, I wasn't wrong.

I thought for a second that I was looking in a mirror, until my reflection started walking towards me. The temperature suddenly dropped, and as the other me drew closer, the details came into focus. Every feature, down to the most indistinguishable details… it matched me exactly. Almost.

His fur, while still green, was such a dark shade that it looked almost black. Both of his arms looked like they had been dipped in tar, the color petering out into spidery black veins that crept over his chest and all the way up his neck. He and I might have had the same face, but his grin was nothing like mine; it was colder. Meaner.

"So, you're Manic…" he smiled, stepping closer; I wanted to back away, but my legs were rooted to the spot. "Thought you'd be shorter."

"...'Scuse me?" I said, growing more confused with every word.

"It's just that I've been spending so much time in Maurice's head, I've gotten used to his perception of the world. His memories make you seem so much younger."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

He chuckled. "Oh, that's right! You don't know me yet. Where are my manners?"

I felt an energy spike surge from the fake me and stumbled backwards, suddenly out of breath; I was right. It really was Dark.

"But you… you've been in my head for _months_ ," I said, my voice shaking. "Why are you only showing yourself now?"

He grimaced. "Let's just say that I've been a little… preoccupied. I can only be in so many places at once these days. But lucky for you, your brother's all taken care of, so you and me are gonna be spending quite a bit of time together. Don't worry!" he said, all too cheerfully. "I'm gonna make it lots of fun."

I had the feeling it was going to be the opposite of fun. "Nightmarishly Horrific" seemed like a more appropriate description. I forced a laugh, "Nice try, dude, but that ain't gonna be easy."

"Really? I think it will." Dark walked closer and I took a few steps back. "Because I'm _you_."

"Uh, _no_ , you're the dude that lives in a rock and possessed my brother."

"You don't know how this thing works, do you?" Dark chuckled. "I'll let you in on a secret: Everyone's got a dark side. Sometimes they just need a little help to set it free- that's where I come in. I'm your _friend_ here, Manic! I'm the _you_ you've always wanted to be!" In the blink of an eye, Dark morphed into the black smoke surrounding us, reappearing behind me.

"I'm smarter… I'm _cooler…"_ he crooned, his grin widening. "I can do anything I want. You wanna know why?" he said as he phased beside me, whispering into my ear. "Because there's _nothing_ holding me back."

Dark's smokey form evaporated again into the void then reappeared at my side, leaning on my shoulder.

"I can help you, Manic," he said. "With me on your side, you'll be stronger than you've ever been in your life. No more rules, no more boundaries… the world's our oyster." He disappeared into the fog and re-formed in front of me, holding out his hand. "So whaddya say, brother? We on the same team?"

I stared at him for a moment before slapping his hand away. "Are… are you _kidding_ me?" I asked in disbelief. "I'm a lot of things, dude, but I'm not an idiot. You're not me- you're the guy who's been messing with my brother and who's been doing _nothing_ but to try to hurt me and my friends. And you really expect me to believe that you're on _my_ side? Gimme a break!"

Dark's smile hardened into a scowl. "Oh, _I'm_ the guy who hurts people? Take a look in the mirror, pal!" He dissolved into smoke once more, appearing just behind me. He swept his leg under my feet, sending me toppling to the ground face-first. Before I could get back up, his foot was pressing down on my shoulder blades, pinning my chest to the floor.

Just below my face, the fog that carpeted the ground began to swirl into a vortex of hazy colors and shapes, settling on an image of a kid, a girl who couldn't have been older than twelve crying on her bed, a piece of paper in her hand- _Wait_. I knew that face.

"Look familiar?" Dark sneered. "Or were you too wrapped up in your adventures as a street urchin to think about what you were doing to our sister? _Selfish,"_ he spat, digging into the back of my neck with his heel. "It's a wonder she even bothered to see if you were alive at all. I know I wouldn't have."

"That's ancient history, man!" I shouted, my voice strained by the pressure on my chest. "Sonia forgave me for that a long time ago."

"Maybe," he said. "But it's not like you've changed since then." The vision shifted out of focus, replaced by an image of me hiding in Rouge's closet. "She saved your life and kept you from going off the deep on while on that acid trip, and you forced her to lie for you. All because you were too scared to face _one guy."_

"Hey, that _one guy_ happens to be half alien, _and_ he works for the feds," I protested. "It would've been suicide to let him see me!"

"So many excuses…" Dark said with a yawn. With a flick of his finger, the scene changed yet again, but didn't stop. I was taking cover while gunshots rang around my head... I was hiding while the others were on the battlefield… I was letting a soldier take the fall when I could've helped him. In every image I looked scared and pathetic, ready to run away at any given second.

"You're a coward," said Dark, his voice stone-cold. "All you've ever cared about is your own safety, and if some other sap would take the fall for you, you'd let them." Dark kicked me once in the ribs, knocking the wind out of me. "You're nothing but a loser and a cheat who doesn't even deserve to lick the mud off your teammate's boots. You make me _sick."_

It was a moment before I realized that my hands were trembling. I didn't want to see this, but I couldn't turn away; Dark wasn't making this up. These were _my_ memories. I didn't wanna admit it, but… a part if me almost agreed with him. I _was_ a coward. I couldn't count how many times I'd let some bystander get nailed for my crimes while I slipped away, even after I left the gang. It wasn't even a conscious decision at this point, it was practically instinct.

Except…

"No," I said, my voice firm. "You left something out."

"Pray tell."

"You think you know me, Dark? Think you can see right through me?" I asked. "Then riddle me this: who's the person who I owe a lifetime to? Who I'd _kill_ and _die_ for without hesitation? You might've gotten it right when it comes to randos on the street, but you got no idea what I'd do when it comes to my sister- or anyone else on the team, for that matter. Or did you miss our little scuffle back there when you were still inside Maurice?"

Dark smiled, and before I could process what was going on, he had grabbed me by the scruff my collar, lifting me off the ground. His calm expression never faltered; he shook his head slowly, chuckling lightly.

"Oh, you poor boy- you think you aren't able to hurt them? That's cute," he said. "Don't you get it? You're the worst thing that's ever happened to them. A walking disappointment. Take my word for it- you're gonna end up hurting them worse than your naive mind can even imagine."

"You… you don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure about that?" Dark smirked, letting go of my shirt and dropping me to the ground. I jumped to my feet in a fighting stance, ready to knock that jerk into next week- but he was gone.

I felt a gust of wind and the vapor on the floor suddenly started to churn and circle upward, billowing into a tornado around me. When it finally died down, the dark landscape had vanished; I was standing in the corner of a sparse, dimly lit room that I didn't recognize. A kid laid in the middle of the floor, not moving, not breathing; All I could make out in the light was a pair of twin tails.

I felt like my heart had stopped. I rushed to Tails's side, shoving him gently.

"Tails?...Kid? Kid, you gotta get up, please-"

"Manic… how could you?"

I jerked up at the sound of the familiar voice; behind me stood Sonia, looking at me like I was some kind of monster.

I shook my head, breathing hard."Sonia, I-"

" _Don't!"_ she shouted, making me flinch. "I can't… I can't even _look_ at you," she said, turning away, her tone dripping with disappointment.

I wanted to say something, to go after her, but only moments after the thought entered my head, the swirling tornado of smoke swallowed up the room and the scene changed; Sonia was backing away from me, shaking in terror.

"Manic…" she said slowly, holding out her hand as if to ward me off. "Manic, don't do this…"

"No! Sonia, I'm not-"

She screamed, stumbling backwards in fright. I took a step back; what was I doing? Why was she afraid of me-

"KNOCK IT OFF!" I shouted to the sky, gritting my teeth. The vapor enveloped me once again and I was suddenly back in the dark, smoky room on my knees, Dark standing above me.

I looked up with a glare. "...Now you're just making things up."

"All I did was give you a sneak peek to what's inevitably gonna happen," he said casually, examining his fingertips. "Face it, punk- you're an accident just waiting to happen. One day you're gonna screw up, and BAM!- it's all over. They're gonna get hurt and you'll have no one to blame but yourself. The kindest thing you can do for them is to disappear."

"You're… you're lying…"

"We'll see about that," he said, smiling calmly. "If you ever decide to see reason, just say the word… I'm always available." Dark's form evaporated into the fog, leaving me alone in the shadows.

I suddenly felt something hot and realized that a blinding white light was growing above me, burning my flesh and forcing me to shut my eyes. It was like being hurled into the sun; I screamed, but couldn't hear anything over the ringing in my ears.

Until all at once, it stopped.

XXX

I gasped for air as I jerked awake, only vaguely aware of the figures huddled around me. My vision was blurred and I felt like I had an army of spiders crawling over my skin. A reddish blob popped up in front of me and said something I couldn't quite hear; I panicked, curling my fingers into a fist and delivering my best left hook.

"OW!" shouted the blob, which was slowly coming into focus. I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes; Knuckles had his hand clutched over his nose, looking taken aback.

" _Manic!"_ cried Sonia, throwing herself over me in a tight embrace. "Thank Chaos-I thought you were… that Dark… you're okay!" she exclaimed, stumbling over her words. Behind her were Rouge and Tails, looking just as relieved to see me.

" _Don't get your hopes up."_

I flinched, startled, but I managed to force a smile, "Hehe... 'Course I'm okay! Takes more than some demon to get me down."

" _That's rich."_

Sonia pulled away, looking concerned. "What did Dark _do_ to you?"

"It's nothing, I'm fine! He just… gave me a few shocks, that's all," I quickly stood up, checking to make sure my sleeve and glove were properly in place.

She raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? Here, let me see your arm-"

"No!" I took a step back, trying to keep my emotions in check. "I'm fine, sis. Really."

Knuckles stepped in, "I was unconscious for most of that, but from what Sonia described to me, it sounds like something I need to check out. Lemme see your arm."

"Manic, we're just trying to help." Sonia took another step towards me and I took another step back.

"And I'm telling you that I'm _fine_." I looked over at Rouge for some back up, but she refused to make eye contact. _Great._

Sonia folded her arms, falling into her 'tell me the truth' stance that I hated. "When I was talking to Shadow, he told me that… there might be something wrong with you. I'm _worried,_ so just let me-"

"You talked to Shadow again?" I interrupted. "Did he have an idea for a cure?" I began to run a mental checklist of topics that could take the spotlight off of me. At this point, literally anything would be better than talking about my fight with Dark.

Sonia shook her head. "We didn't have a lot of time to talk before Dark showed up, but he did suggest isolating the Chaotic gene inside Knuckles and myself. He said we'd need your DNA too, but for another reason." She took another step forward, "Do you know why?"

Crap- didn't work. I tried to shrug casually, but even I could tell that it was stiff and obviously forced, "No idea. I'm kind of exhausted, though, so I think I'm gonna go get some shut eye." I turned around to leave but someone grabbed at my right arm. Pain flared up and I had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming.

Knuckles was holding my arm, his expression clearly suspicious, "Manic, we need to run a routine check-up just to make sure Dark hasn't done any permanent damage."

" _Depends on his definition of damage, I suppose."_

My anger flared and the pain isn't helping. I yanked my arm away and glared at the echidna, "Dude. I said I'm fine. _Back. Off."_

Sonia pulled Knuckles back, "Manic, just let me-"

"I said _no!"_

" _Aw, big sis is worried about her baby brother... how sweet."_

"I'm worried about you-"

"For the last time, sis, I'm fine. Leave me _alone."_ I turned away again, trying to make my escape.

" _That's right. Run away. It's not like you're good at anything else."_

Sonia grabbed my arm, "Manic, for once, _please_ be reasonable-"

" _See? Not even_ she _trusts you. I told you you were the worst thing that's ever happened to them."_

I've never understood what they meant when someone saw red, but at that moment, something in me snapped. I was hardly aware of what I was doing, only that I wanted to lash out, to make them leave me alone, to make the voice in my head be _quiet-_

"Shut _UP!"_

I felt a stinging in my palm and heard Sonia cry out in pain, slamming to the ground on her side. I suddenly felt weak in the knees; it was like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. When she looked up, I could see tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes and suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

My ears were ringing; I heard the muffled sounds of movement, someone was yelling at me, but the words meant nothing to me- it was just sound. Blank noise. I clutched my head and tried to calm my pounding heart, but somehow that only made things worse.

" _Nice one, Maniac. Awesome job proving me right."_

"Go away…" I muttered, gritting my teeth. Dark laughed, high and cold, making me shiver.

Someone was tapping on my shoulder, I turned my head and found Tails standing behind me, his eyes wide. "...Manic?"

" _Look at 'em. You think they're your_ friends? _**Please.**_ _Like they'd want anything to do with you now."_

I looked up and found Rouge staring at me. Her expression was blank, but when we made eye contact, I could sense the disappointment. I took a step away from the scene. Knuckles was down next to Sonia, shouting something at me that I couldn't hear. He stared at me almost without blinking, and I couldn't tell if he wanted to kill me or run away as fast as he could.

And Sonia. Chaos, I'd never seen her like this before. An overwhelming flood of her emotions was rushing into my brain; outrage, shock, confusion… fear. Sonia was afraid of me.

" _And you're surprised?"_ Dark scoffed. " _It's about time she opened her eyes. Don't say I didn't warn you."_

My head was throbbing and black spots were forming in the corners of my vision, like I sinking back into that dark, smoky nightmare. Dark was laughing; it was low and quiet at first, but getting steadily louder until it was all I could hear, all that felt _real-_

"MANIC!"

My eyes flew open and I gasped for breath; Sonia's hands were on my shoulders, shaking me back to reality. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and the side of her face was red from the place I'd slapped her. She looked… worried. Scared- not of me, but… for me.

" _What are you, blind? Wake up and smell the coffee, stupid! The fact that you_ exist _puts these 'friends' of yours in danger! Geez, it's like I'm talking to a wall-"_

"Zip it!" I snarled. "I'm done listening to you!"

Sonia looked at me, her eyes wide. "Manic?"

" _Woah, woah, woah- what do you think you're doing?"_ said Dark; for the first time, he sounded almost nervous.

I glanced over to Rouge, biting my lower lip. "I… you guys… there's something I need to tell you." She nodded and Dark began to rapidly try and explain why I was making the wrong choice. I did my best to shut him out, even as he began shouting.

"I… I think I already told you, when Sonia and I got the black emerald, it... burned me. But… it wasn't a burn. At least, I don't think it was," I choked out, trying to find the right words. I dropped my gaze and stared at the floor for a moment, before summoning the courage to look back up at their wide and frightened gazes. "I…"

" _Are you INSANE?_ _If you fess up, they'll kill you where you stand!"_

I swallowed hard, "I… I'm sorry, I should have told you forever ago, but I didn't want to make you worry, or… or _distract_ you, I just… I thought I could handle him."

Knuckles raised an eyebrow, "Sorry, _him?"_

" _You're running out of time, idiot-_ get out _while you still can!"_

I almost laughed. _Guess you underestimated me, Dark._ I took a deep breath and turned around to unbutton my flannel and pull off my right glove, gently pulling the shirt off.

Sonia's voice was the first that registered, "Manic, what are you- oh Chaos…"

Rouge gasped and cursed under her breath, which didn't make any sense to me. I mean, she had seen this before. I glanced down at my arm- _holy crap._

The blackened part of my skin had spread rapidly since I had last looked at it; It was now halfway across my chest and down to my waist on my right side. This morning it had barely covered my shoulder blade. The veins still tingled with energy, stinging my skin like hundreds of tiny needles.

"Whatever Dark did to you…" said Rouge, stepping forward. "It… he… he made it worse."

"...You're infected?" Tails whispered, his voice barely audible. After a moment's hesitation, I nodded, staring at my shoes.

"I…" I locked eyes with Sonia, her expression frozen in place. "I… I'm _so_ sorry. I should've told you, I just couldn't... " I trailed off, staring down at my hands and trembling so badly I thought I was going to fall over.

Knuckles pushed past Rouge and Tails to face me; even if I wasn't able to face him, I could tell he was furious. "Do you have _any_ idea the kind of danger you've put us in?" he seethed, tightening his fists. " _All_ of us?"

"Of _course_ I do!"

" _Well, at least we agree on that."_

"Shut up!" I shouted, gritting my teeth.

Knuckles raised an eyebrow; I quickly interjected, "Not you, _him_." I said, pointing at my head.

Any color left in Sonia's face drained to a sickly shade of grayish white. "You… you mean you can _hear_ him?" she murmured, her voice hardly above a whisper. For once, I wish she'd scream at me and tell me what an idiot I was. Anything would be better than seeing her look so confused and betrayed, and knowing that it was all my fault.

" _She's not the only one, y'know-"_

"Enough!" I growled. Sonia and Tails flinched, and I immediately felt horrible. Dark snickered; I almost wished he were in front of me so I could deck him.

"We have to do something about this!" Knuckles growled, jabbing his finger at my forehead. "If Dark's inside Manic, then no wonder we've lost so many of the emeralds! He knows every move we're gonna make!"

"I don't think that's how it works, Knux-" I said, stepping between him and Sonia, who looked about ready to punch him in the nose. "But…" I inhaled sharply, closing my eyes. "You're right. I can't stick around here. I'd only cause more problems for you guys."

" _Huh. 'Bout time you listened to reason. Better split while you still have their guards down."_

"Manic, if you're seriously suggesting that you leave town, I swear to Chaos, I will _end_ you," Rouge hissed, arms crossed. Sonia whirled around to face me, looking like she was on the verge of a panic attack.

"What? No! That is _not_ I meant!" I insisted.

" _Uh, are you CRAZY? That is_ _ **totally**_ _what you meant!"_

I grimaced, but didn't respond. I turned my attention back to the team, "You need to find a cure, right?" I asked Tails. He nodded slowly, the horror still evident on his face. I gave him a grim smile, "Well- looks like you just got your first test subject." I stepped forward and held out my wrists in surrender, refusing to look at Sonia.

"Take me away, officer."

XXX

 **Can I just say that when I pictured Dark and Manic going mano y mano, all I could see was Steve Rogers vs Winter Soldier (the one right before Cap removes the mask and realizes it is Bucky). But in a weird twisted turn of events- Manic was the Winter Soldier and Dark was Cap. Then again, it isn't super strange, since every time I want inspiration for Dark Manic I go listen to the Winter Soldier theme. Great. Now I need to go watch that battle/movie again. Not that that's a bad thing…**

 **Next chapter coming… whenever it's done.**

 **Today's review question courtesy of Halo:** _ **What does Shadow do all day in his head? I mean, it's not like he can play chess by himself... or can he? IDK**_

 **Review, please!**


	56. Milestones

_**Sorry guys, but no time to answer reviews! We have some heavy plot to get to!**_

 **True enough. Let's roll!**

XXX

Tails' POV:

 _19 Oct- 01:04 AM_

I stared at the digital clock on the wall and tried to feel any sort of emotion that resembled happiness.

General Towers had been kind enough to move my lab to a different room, as my old one had been destroyed in the fight a few days ago. New vials, new equipment, new cabinet smell and everything. On any other year, it would qualify as one of the best birthday presents ever.

This year it fell flat.

I pushed the thought away and turned back to the microscope. I stared at the blood sample from Sonia again, trying to find… something. Biology and medicine had never been my strong suit. If you had a machine that needed patching up, I could fix it in two minutes flat. But an infection? That was different.

Flesh and blood were not equivalent to machinery. Mechanical parts were interchangeable, and if part of it broke, you could replace it with a flick of a screwdriver and nothing would change. You couldn't just replace someone's heart or liver. You had to find a match, and even then there was a chance of rejection.

And to make things worse, I had no idea what I was looking for, what to replace, what the problem was. Where did the body even store Chaos energy? Knuckles gave me this weird rant about blood energy and ' _zena'**,_ but it didn't help in the slightest. All I got of him was that it had something to do with the circulatory system, and decided that was the best place to start. I had thrown myself into learning everything there was to know about blood and viral infections, and had started work examining blood samples two days ago.

So far, I had nothing of value. Sonia's and Knuckles' blood looked exactly the same as mine, and any other picture or blood sample I could get my hands on. Nothing remarkably chaotic or abnormal about it.

I pulled away from the microscope and rubbed my eyes, blinking until most of the blurriness had disappeared. Where were Manic's blood samples? I sent Amy in over an hour ago to get them, despite Manic's new… living arrangements.

It had been over a week since Manic had come clean, and since then, he had been locked in one of GUN's solitary confinement cells with a camera rolling twenty four hours a day. General Towers hadn't been too heartless and gave him a box of old comics and a rubix cube, but after a few days, Manic had lost interest. When I saw him last, he was curled up on the floor in the corner, rocking back and forth and muttering to himself. Every now and then he'd start shouting or pacing around the room, and at one point he randomly started laughing so hard that he almost passed out, but other than that, he remained in the corner of the cell, head in his hands.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block that image from my mind.

The main door slid open and Amy walked in, holding a small container. "Got his blood."

I nodded and motioned to the counter. "Put it over there. I'll have a look when I'm done with this slide."

Amy objected. "Maybe you should get some sleep. You've been awake for over twenty four hours."

"I'm fine."

"Miles-"

I groaned. "Look, if I promise to rest after I check Manic's blood, will you leave me alone?"

"...of course." said Amy, squeezing my shoulder, her voice soft. "We're just worried about you."

I didn't answer. Why would anyone be worried about me? I wasn't the one who was slowly being possessed by a demonic evil spirit three stories below my feet. And who was 'we'? Sonia was either sitting outside of Manic's cell or wandering around like a lost sheep, Knuckles was back on Angel Island doing Chaos knows what, Rouge was sitting with Shadow 24/7, and General Towers was preparing for a planet wide catastrophe. There was no ' _we'._

Amy left a short time later with the untouched food tray she had brought by six hours ago. I went back to work.

XXX

 _19 Oct- 04:52 AM_

Manic's blood was….different. Which was only partially good news. The bad news was I had no idea what to make of it. All I knew was after two hours of staring at the blood it had turned from red to black, and you didn't need a degree in hematology to know that wasn't normal.

I was missing something. Something big. I just wasn't sure what.

I jotted something down about the shape of the black blood cells. Or at least tried to. Halfway through, my vision started to go cross-eyed and I had to put the pen down to get my bearings back. Maybe I needed glasses...

XXX

 _19 Oct- 05:17 AM_

Amy walked in with a breakfast tray and almost dropped it when she saw me standing over the microscope. "Tails! You promised you would rest!"

"I said I would rest _after_ I examined Manic's blood. I'm not done yet."

She slammed the tray on the counter, making me flinch. "Oh, no. It has been over _three hours_ since I last checked on you. It's about time you took a break."

"For the millionth time, Amy, I'm fine."

Amy groaned, clutching the bridge of her nose. "Tails, you could go _shopping_ with the bags under your eyes, and- wait a minute… D-did you _tape_ your eyelids open?"

"Had to," I said dismissively, refocusing my attention back to the microscope. The darker blood cells seemed to be contaminating the ordinary ones… interesting. I scribbled down my observation into my notebook, not bothering to see if my handwriting had gotten any more illegible.

"When was the last time you actually got some sleep?" Amy demanded. I frowned and tried to remember, but found that my mind was a total blank.

"Um…"

She sighed. "That's what I thought. _Bed."_

"Are you _kidding?_ I can't stop now!" I protested. "Look at all the progress I've made! I'm on the verge of a breakthrough!"

"A break _down,_ more likely," she muttered.

"Very funny. But seriously, look! If you observe the erythrocytes from Manic's blood samples, you'll notice that the pigmentation changes based on how much the cells are exposed to what I _think_ is the Dark virus-"

"Tails."

"-which could be affecting the status of his blood's hemoglobin levels and serve as an explanation for the pigmentation of his infected skin-"

" _Tails._ "

"-if I can figure out a way to forcibly remove the virus from his bloodstream, then there's a possibility that the infection might be halted altogether-"

" _TAILS!"_

"What?"

"I'm not even going to pretend that I know what you're talking about."

"Amy, don't you see?" I demanded, jumping to my feet and immediately having to steady myself. "I'm finally figuring out how this infection thing works- and more importantly, how to cure it! These blood tests could be the key to figuring out how to get rid of Dark for good, don't you understand?"

"Of course I do!" she insisted. "But this isn't healthy! Besides, they'll be waiting right here for you when you come back."

I almost argued again, but my legs suddenly gave out- Amy caught me before I slammed into the floor, looking like she had expected this to happen. My head was spinning and my vision cross-eyed; Maybe all that time behind the microscope really was taking its toll. Grudgingly, I allowed her to take me away, but only on the promise that she would wake me if Manic got worse.

XXX

 _19th Oct- 12:53 PM_

I blinked at the clock, hoping it was wrong. It wasn't.

"AMY!"

"What?" Amy poked her head through the door, obviously annoyed.

I scrambled out of bed, searching desperately for my research notebook. "How could you not wake me up? Look at all the time I've wasted! Chaos-"

"You only slept seven and a half hours, Tails. Honestly, you should _still_ be asleep," said Amy, arms crossed.

"Yeesh, what is with you and _sleep?_ " I muttered. "Hey, do you know where we keep the rest of the energy drinks?"

She rolled her eyes. "Tails, you can't just run on caffeine and willpower- you will _literally die."_

"Y'know who _else_ is going to die if I don't keep at this?" I shouted, louder than I intended. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. "Look… Sonic is already out of control, and Manic… he's getting worse every day. This might be my last chance to save either of them. I can't afford to waste even a second. Otherwise, I…" I trailed off, unable to speak with the lump in my throat.

Amy softened, looking less frustrated and more concerned. "You're not the only one who's worried. Trust me."

I glared at her. " _You_ seem just fine."

" _Fine?"_ Amy demanded, a flash of anger in her eyes. "Tails, people deal with stress differently. Not everyone throws themselves into their work while practically starving themselves of basic necessities."

No argument from here on that one.

Amy sighed, "Don't believe me? Well, here's a thought: Rouge is currently in the training room smashing any remaining punching bag to bits. She does this till she's ready to collapse, then heads to Shadow's room until she's ready to start punching something again.

" _Knuckles_ has isolated himself on Angel Island and refuses to be contacted. Dark might attack or destroy the planet and he won't know until he picks up his stupid communicator."

I rolled my eyes and turned back to trying to locate my notebook. I was positive that I had left it on the side table.

"And don't get me started on Sonia- but you think _I'm_ fine? Well, guess what? I'm not! But you know what I do when I feel like this?" she asked, not waiting for an answer. "I _clean."_

Wait, what? "You… _clean_?"

She shrugged, "Your house is now completely free of dust and mold and everything's been organized according to color. So is your garage and your old lab that Dark blew up. Every couple of hours I go to Vanilla's and clean the kitchen, top to bottom."

"Every day?"

Amy glared, "At least twice a day, because _Cream_ happens to stress bake. If you ever got your nose out of your research, you might've noticed that."

I looked up with disbelief, "Wait… she _what?"_

Amy pinched her nose and sighed, "Every available space in the refrigerator and freezer at Vanilla's house is filled to the brim with baked goods. And you _know_ how big their freezer is."

The freezer she spoke of was an old guest room I had converted about a year ago as a late Christmas present for Vanilla and Cream. I attempted to calculate how many cookies would fill its shelves. What I got was… a lot. Holy Chaos.

Amy motioned at the breakfast tray beside my bed, "I didn't make the cinnamon rolls- Cream did. I've had to start storing food at your house, and that's just the stuff I couldn't give away. Everyone- and I mean _everyone-_ at GUN has received a basket of sweets at least twice now. And she's not stopping any time soon!"

"...where is she getting her ingredients?"

"Like I know."

I bit my lip. I couldn't believe I had forgotten about Cream in this entire mess. How much of the situation did she even know? If she watched the news, then some vague facts, but-

 _Ugh!_ I plopped down on the bed and but my head in my hands, "What happened to us?"

Amy paused, clearly confused by the change of subject.

I sighed, "Four months ago we were heading off to fight Robotnik with Sonic, and Manic and Sonia were trying to find Maurice. A little over a year ago, Robotnik was just a threat, not some mental case who tried to kill us whenever we were within fifty feet of him. Now look at us. Team Sonic is _gone."_

"Don't… don't be ridiculous, Tails. We're still a team." said, Amy, her voice quivering.

"Are we?" I asked bitterly. "You already said Knuckles isn't bothering to answer his calls, and _I've_ locked myself up in a laboratory. Team Dark is a mess- or what's left of it, anyway. And Sonic… Did we ever even know him?" I bit my lip and tried to keep the tears from falling. "I mean, I knew his real name but…"

Amy reached out to comfort me, but I pushed her away, maybe a little harder than I should. "We never knew about them! His family, his history with Robotnik, _nothing!_ Even if we _do_ get him back, are… are we ever going to be able to trust him again?"

Amy didn't answer immediately, but slowly made her way over and sat down beside me. Her voice was soft when she finally spoke. "Miles… we all have our secrets."

I felt a tear slide down my face and I quickly wiped it away. "Maybe I'm just tired of all the secrets."

Amy squeezed my hand, "Me too."

I closed my eyes and allowed Amy to hug me, resting her chin on my head. I felt a few tears drip down my cheeks and land on my shaking hands.

"What happened to us?" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.

Amy didn't answer.

XXX

 _19th Oct - 05:23 PM_

I was testing how Manic's blood reacted to an old blaster design of GUN's when Cream entered the workshop. The shot went wide and the sample tray shattered on the ground. I bit my lip to prevent some choice words from slipping out-

-and to my shock, Cream beat me to it.

I blinked several times, "...Cream?"

"Sorry," she muttered, looking at her feet. "Mother says I'm not allowed to talk like that."

"No kidding," I grabbed a broom and began to sweep up the glass. "Where'd you even learn to talk like that?"

"Shadow. Mother. Late night TV that I'm not allowed to watch anymore," she shrugged. "I remember a few from my dad… and from when mister Manic stubbed his toe."

I almost laughed. "Forget I asked. What are you doing down here so late?"

Cream placed a picnic basket on the counter and pulled back the cover. Around two dozen vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting were piled up in a neat stack. One had an unlit candle. She held it out to me with a smile, "Happy Birthday, Tails."

I managed to smile, "Can't believe you remembered. Everyone else has sorta spaced. Although I got a notification from my Tweeter."

Cream pulled a small cigarette lighter out of her pocket. She smiled at me, "I have a calendar at home just dedicated to birthdays."

I motioned at the basket, "Not sure if I can eat all of those by myself."

"Sorry," Cream shrugged, "I had a lot more extra batter than I planned for."

"Where'd you even get all these ingredients?"

"The pantry."

"Um… where'd they come from?"

"The store. I give Mother lists of ingredients, and she buys them. Then I give her more lists."

"That's... it?"

"Mother shops when she's nervous."

Well, that explained a lot. Made me wonder how much their grocery bill went up this month alone. A wave of guilt swept over me. "Sorry about not talking to you and your mom since… you know."

Cream smiled half-heartedly. "It's okay. I know you've all been really busy. Amy keeps us posted."

I didn't know what to say after that so I turned back to my sample tray. Maybe concentrated sunlight would affect it…? If Dark was a vampire, maybe. Stupid.

Cream hauled herself up on the counter, putting the cupcake down next to my hand. "What are you working on?"

"Cure for Sonic and Manic."

"How's it coming?"

"It's… it's a work in progress. Maybe. I don't know." I ran my fingers through my hair and groaned. "I honestly have no clue what I'm doing, but here I am. In a lab. Staring at blood."

Cream kicked her legs up and down, gently tapping the counter with a steady 'thump, thump'. "You want to talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about?" I motioned at my notes, "All I see is a load of… garbage."

"Then why are you still working on it?"

I paused. That was a very good question that I wasn't sure I could answer.

I knew that even if I found the cure, nothing was going to be the same. Team Sonic was done, my 'family' was changed, Robotnik was dead, and it wasn't like we could forget about the terrible experiences that had happened. This "cure" wasn't going to fix anything. I said as much to Cream, who listened quietly.

"Who's the cure for?"

"My brothers."

"I thought you only had one."

I hesitated, "I… I do. But… I can't lose Manic either. I mean, we aren't very close and I don't think he sees me the same as Maurice or anything, but-"

"You're rambling." Cream smiled. "Have you ever thought that Manic might _want_ a little brother on top of his older one?"

No. Or at least that's what I told myself every night as I tried to fall asleep- if I did sleep. I forced myself to look back at the sample, ignoring Cream's steady gaze. "Why would he want that? Why would anyone want that?"

"But you want him to want that, right?"

I smiled, "You should be a psychologist."

"A what?" Cream looked confused.

"It's, um… it's a type of doctor. Forget I said anything." I tapped my fingers on my notebook, trying to make sense of the numbers, "I guess I just want him to like me."

"Manic already likes you."

"Well, I want him to keep liking me."

"And you think by making a cure, it will make him like you more?"

I didn't answer. I didn't need to. Or even want to. Cream gently patted my hand, "Tails, it's okay to think that."

"I… I lost my sister when I was only four. I just lost Sonic. I can't lose another brother."

We stood in silence for what felt like eternity. Then Cream reached over and lit the candle on the cupcake. She softly hummed Happy Birthday as she pushed the cupcake towards me. "Make a wish, Tails."

I smiled at her. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

Birthday wishes were something I never really believed in. But this time, I had to believe in something. I thought of everyone scattered and apart; Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Vanilla, Rouge. I thought of Shadow in his coma. I thought of Sonia and Manic. And Sonic.

The only thing I wanted at that moment was for my family to be whole- _everyone._

I blew and the light flickered, then died.

XXX

Sonia's POV:

I awoke with a start; I knew I had been dreaming about something, but the memory had been lost the moment I opened my eyes.

I blinked a few times to adjust to the bright fluorescent lights of the security camera screens. Sure enough, Manic was still there, pacing back and forth across the floor of his cell, mumbling to himself. His expression was constantly in flux, from nervous to angry to downright terrified. Every now and then he'd start talking or shouting, but would go right back to anxious muttering.

He wouldn't let me see him. He wouldn't let _anyone_ see him. Said it was too dangerous. I believed it.

I glanced at the clock next to the screens; October 19th- 07:28 PM. I'd been sleeping for less than an hour, which was a little strange. Usually I slept until the security guards switched shifts, which was around ten. I looked back at the screen; Manic had stopped pacing and was now just muttering to himself.

I groaned. The only time he ever stood still was when he was about to have a laughing fit or throw something across the room. Neither of them made me feel any better about the situation.

I turned away to get a drink of water when I felt my hair stand on end. Something was wrong.

Great. I started looking around for the problem. No guard in the room was about to try and shoot me and no one was about to delete an important file (that had been a new one for me).

I glanced back at the clock. 7:29 PM. A guard would be about to give Manic his dinner right about now. For some reason he had requested fish fingers and custard for tonight. He claimed it was something some famous Doctor ate, but I didn't get it.

My fingers were now tingling and I started to worry. Whatever was wrong, it wasn't small.

Manic had stopped muttering to himself and was now sitting on the bed perfectly still, just staring at the door. He wasn't even blinking.

I frowned, leaning towards the console. That was _really_ weird. Manic never sat still. Ever. So why was he-

Something in my head clicked just as the cell door creaked open and the guard walked in. I didn't even have time to open my mouth or try and warn them over their communicators as Manic sprung to his feet and slammed into the guard. He grabbed the plate of food and threw it like a frisbee at the camera in the corner; The monitor went dark.

I cursed as I sprung to my feet. Ignoring any guards exclamations or questions, I sprinted down the hall into the stairwell. I ignored the stairs and vaulted over the railing, dropping about three stories then landing in a summer salt on the basement level.

It was then, and only then, I had the idea that I might need some backup. I activated my com as I dashed out of the stairwell and towards Manic's cell. "Anyone there? We have a situation!"

There was silence for a few seconds and I was about to try again when Tails' voice finally crackled to life, " _What kind of a situation?"_

I burst into the area where Manic was being held and screeched to halt. Two guards were lying unconscious on the ground beside their station and the door was hanging ajar. "It's Manic, he's-"

That was all I was able to get out before a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist, twisting me around into the wall. My com was ripped off and it fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Wouldn't want you calling for help, now would we?"

I bit my tongue to keep from gasping; I knew that Manic hadn't been quite right since he'd allowed himself to be locked up, but now that he was up close, I would've thought he had just escaped from the looney bin. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, highlighted by circles so dark it almost looked like makeup, and his fur and hair looked scruffy and unkempt. The blackened parts of his skin were dotted with scabbed-over scratch marks, like he had completely lost it and tried to peel off the infection.

Something inside me seemed to snap- and it wasn't anger. "I can take care of myself." I spun around and pushed him back. I drew my gun and let off a few stun shots, which bought me a few more feet.

He growled and stretched forth his hand, like he was trying to claw at me from three feet away. His fingers closed into a fist, and my brain suddenly felt like someone drove a thousand nails into it; I almost screamed from the pain. Manic- Dark- _who was he?_ \- took advantage of the distraction and began to punch me in the stomach, hard; I suddenly found myself grateful that we had confiscated all of his knives. After a few blows I managed to shake off whatever that migraine had been and dodged or blocked almost every hit.

I managed to fire off another three stun shots, but only hit him once. Manic dropped to his knees, holding his stomach and groaning. Despite myself, I felt a wave of panic, "Oh Chaos- Manic, are you oka- ARGH!"

I dropped my gun and grabbed my head, which felt like someone had split it open with an axe. I heard movement coming from my left, but the pain blinded me- in every sense of the word. I heard a very familiar click and pain suddenly shot through my body starting from my back and spreading out. Only later did I realize my stun gun had been picked up and used by Man- Dark- _forget it-_ he's Dark Manic.

Maybe he would have continued firing until I went unconscious. Or maybe he would have found the kill setting. I didn't have to find out because the next sound I registered was someone shouting and the pain from my head eased. I forced myself to look up and found Tails shooting at Manic with my gun that he had somehow gotten back.

The kid looked terrified. Dark just started laughing, "I've always wanted to try this."

Tails blinked, "Try what?"

Dark grinned, his eyes wild. He waved his hand towards Tails in a clawing motion, smirking. Something changed in Tails demeanor. His eyes went wide and he started shaking, my gun slipping from his fingers and clattering to the ground. "What… what are you…" He suddenly grabbed at his neck and fell to his knees, screaming. But not even that- they were almost… unearthly. Everything about them radiated pure terror and fear that made my heart jump into my throat.

"PLEASE, STOP IT! STOP, I'LL BUILD IT, I'LL BUILD IT, I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! STOP! MAURICE! SOMEBODY, HELP ME! _MAURICE!"_ Tears were streaming down his face and he fell onto the ground, clawing at his neck like he was trying to rip off something that wasn't there.

I whirled around, "What did you do to him?"

"Aw, he's just revisiting some old memories." Dark grinned. "You wanna go next? I'm giving out free samples."

"I'll pass," I dove and scooped up my gun, trying to ignore the screams behind me. I took aim for Dark's forehead, hoping that it might wake Manic up- or at least knock him out. But before I could pull the trigger, Dark ducked down and elbowed me in the stomach, knocking me against the wall and making me lose my gun- _again_.

Dark pressed my wrists against the wall, his grip like iron. He chuckled softly, "That's not the only trick I know. Wanna see?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Not really, no."

"Whoopsie! Looks like I've already started! It'd be rude to interrupt me now!" He reached out his hand with two fingers outwards, inching them towards my forehead. Black lighting curled around his palm and knuckles and something told me I did not want whatever it was in my system.

"Manic…" I said, recoiling from his fingers. "Manic, don't do this, this isn't you…"

"Oooh, and that's where you're wrong," he smirked, shaking his head. "I'm the best 'me' I've been in a long while. You're lucky I'm so nice- I'm letting you have an upgrade too! Just hold sti-"

Suddenly, he froze, his expression changing from cocky to confused. Hs eyes grew wide with shock and he stumbled backwards, releasing me. I hit the ground with a thud, quickly scrambling to my feet and snatching up my gun. Tails' screams suddenly cut off and turned into sobs as Manic lost his balance and started to convulse. He cried out once, the black electricity surging through his veins and coiling around his arms and neck. Dark's arrogant grin stretched itself on his face half a second before it melted off into an expression of pure agony. Manic curled up in a ball, desperately gasping for each breath, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. He sank to the floor, unconscious and completely still.

I felt that twinge of panic settle in my stomach again and I bent down to check his pulse. Manic was breathing and the black energy had faded, thank Chaos. With that out of the way, I hurried over to Tails. He was curled up in a ball, his namesake curled around him like a protective shield. As gently as I could, I pried them back, "Tails? Tails, it's okay. You're safe."

Tails shaking and sobbing slowed, he blinked at me like he was trying to focus, "Lu… Lucy?... That you?... Am… am I dead?"

I frowned, "No, you aren't dead. And I don't know about any Lucy."

Tails blinked a few more times. His eyes widened and he slowly sat up, "...Sonia?"

"That's me."

"I thought you were… someone else. Sorry."

I smiled, "Can't blame you. Whatever Dark did to you sounded awful." I hesitated, "He said something about revisiting old memories. What… what memory was that?- if you don't mind me asking."

Tails stiffened. "That… ugh, Dark is evil. That was the worst week of my life. I was like seven years old when Robotnik captured me for the first time. He made me wear an electric collar and forced me to help him build a really big robot. There was a lot of, um… discipline involved."

I stared at him, not even trying to hide my horror. "You were _seven?"_

"It wasn't the last time he did it, but that first time… ugh. I still don't like electricity," He rubbed his throat, shivering. "Glad Robotnik isn't around to do _that_ anymore."

I was suddenly really glad Robotnik was dead. If he wasn't, then I might have killed him myself. Tails glanced over my shoulder at Manic, who still hadn't moved a muscle. He might've even seemed peaceful, if not for the look of anguish still etched into his features.

XXX

Manic woke up about an hour later, and wasn't exactly pleased with his new living arrangements. Then again, I don't think anyone would want to wake up strapped down to a table in a maximum security cell with four armed guards holding you at gunpoint. I was sitting in the corner behind one of them, clutching my gun just in case something happened.

Manic blinked a few times, dazed. "Where… where am I?" He tried to lift his hand, but found it shackled to the table. I think that was about the time he noticed the guards pointing assault rifles straight towards him.

"Um… stupid question, probably, but _what did I do?"_

I got to my feet, walking towards him hesitantly with my hand just above my holster. Manic blinked a few times, looking bewildered.

"Sonia? Um...you mind telling these guys to put down the boom sticks? _Please?_ "

I bit down on my lower lip, shaking my head. "Manic- d-do you remember anything?"

"Uh… lots of things," he replied skeptically.

"Specifically what happened before you woke up," I said, hardly daring to breathe.

Manic hesitated. "I… I dunno. It's all kind of a blur," he admitted, furrowing his brow in thought. "I remember Dark was talking to me, then I just, like… fell asleep or something. It felt like I was dreaming, all out of focus and stuff, y'know?"

I nodded, urging him to go on.

Manic frowned deeper, thinking hard. "For a while I wasn't able to see anything, but I think I could still hear a little... Dark was…" A look of realization crossed his face and he turned three shades paler, looking like he was going to be sick, "Holy Chaos… did I… how did… _no..."_

All the tension in my body released. "Manic, it's okay. You're okay now. I-"

"Stay away from me!" Manic shouted, recoiling back as far as he could. His breathing was shaky and shallow, like he was having a nervous breakdown. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, streaming freely down his cheeks.

"It's all coming back," he whispered, choking up. "I had a feeling Dark was planning something big, but this is… I…"

"It's _okay,_ Manic, everyone is fine-"

"For _how long?"_ he demanded. "He _possessed_ me, Sonia! I was in his head, I _know_ that he was trying… trying to…" He trailed off for a moment, trembling. "He… _I_ tried to infect you, sis. And it almost worked. Don't you understand? Dark is using _me_ to hurt _you._ I'm… I'm just a puppet."

I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. "Don't you dare say that, Manic, don't you _dare-"_

"Why not? It's true," he said, refusing to look me in the eye. "As long as I'm around, you and everybody else is in danger. I could be taken over again at any time and wouldn't be able to stop it- he _knows_ that. Not even a _government prison_ can hold him."

I swallowed hard. "So… what? Are you saying you want to _leave?_ Running away would be _crazy_ , you know you can't do that!... right?"

Something in his expression told me that wasn't what he meant.

XXX

 **We really need to quit one-upping ourselves on the "worst birthday ever" bandwagon. Can't anyone in this story have a happy birthday?** _**Seriously. Just give these cinnamon rolls some friggin peace.**_

 **Now why would we do that?**

 _ ** **Shoutout to Caisha12 for the AMAZING fanart! I just****_ _ ** **received****_ _ ** **the submission on Tumblr, and it has filled me and Era with angsty happiness! Thank you so much!****_

 ****Note: Zena is referenced in our previous story, "Miles From Home". All you need to know is that it is a special type of Chaos energy that certain people possess- and is stronger than any physical or mental abilities. Infinite, Mephiles, Dark, and Chaos would qualify as being in that category. Shadow comes close, but does not qualify.**

 **Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed the angst. Review please!**


	57. Through the Window

_**We all knew this day would come.**_

 _ **Our dear Oceanera has finally succumbed to her ailments. They told us she only had four years left, but we never imagined the day would come so soon. Friends, Romans, Countrymen… we gather here today to mourn the loss of yet another victim of the accursed SENIORITIS-**_

 **HALO** **, QUIT TELLING PEOPLE I'M DEAD.**

 _ **Sometimes I can still hear the sound of her voice...**_

 **Seriously, you are gonna give someone a heart attack! I just graduated!**

 _ **To the next life. Alas, poor Era, I knew her well...**_

 **HALO!**

 **Ignore my co-author. She is just over-reacting. Quick comments then let's get to the fun part of the update. The actual story.**

 **Hawkfeather: (I'm just gonna keep calling you that. It's too confusing to do anything else). YAY! ACCOUNT! Okay, please stop stabbing Dark. I need him, whether you like him or not. It won't do anything anyway. He'll just… well, that's a spoiler. *And you got Havoc's attention. Not sure if it's the kind of the attention you wanted but…* Also, here is a big hug from me and Halo. *HUGS***

 **MelGamingPlays: To be honest, they don't know what he is. Tikal knows, but she's keeping her mouth shut at the moment. Something about making sure Dark doesn't find the Master Emerald…**

 **StarlightSparks: No, we are not going to get another Sonic POV until Dark is….taken care of. We debated but it's a little… tricky. And confusing. Basically, no one would know what was going on, including Sonic. It's like a daydream for him: asleep, but awake. At this point, Sonic might as well be watching a scratched up movie. He has bits and images, but he is missing a lot of the story and there is nothing he can do about it.**

 **ultimateCCC: Funny you should ask that! And technically….no.**

 **Guest: Yeah, I've thought of the Avenger AU several times. Tails is Tony but after that… I really can't tell who is who. Thoughts?**

 **SharpDragonKlaw: Poor everyone for being in this story. We have ruined their lives for your entertainment. I hope you're happy.**

 **Detta: It had us crying for even longer. Also, funny you should mention that…**

 **ThatSpeedhunter: I agree. Sonic and team going down, down, down, down, until they spiral out of control is highly unusual. Even in fanfic. Seriously, I have found one other story that might be even WORSE than ours.**

 **Andy: Working on it! Promise!**

 **Faso: Holy Kriff, Bill! Don't die on me here!** _ **No, no. I say Kill Bill**_ ™ _ **.**_ **Halo, no. Yeah, Dark is a little… well for me to put it simply, he is hard to write. Like, I've tried. And it did NOT work AT ALL. So the fact that he's a little… stereotype, is because he is HARD to write. Sorry. We tried to add some depths to him in this chapter. Hope we did. If not…. Sorry.**

 **Without further ado, ACTION.**

XXX

Rouge's POV:

Manic hadn't moved for five minutes and the guards were starting to look nervous. I would have been too, if I had actually been in the cell. Instead, I was safely on the other side of the glass, peering in at the squirming men and the prisoner. I would have found the situation amusing, if I wasn't concerned for my own life.

Seconds ticked by with Manic remaining motionless; it was starting to creep me out. I finally tapped on the glass as loud as I could. The guards jumped at least three feet at the sound, but it got Manic to open his eyes, blinking wearily. I sighed in relief. I really did not need another possessed hedgehog in my life. I wasn't sure if I could take it.

Manic's head jerked up, his eyes darting around in panic before relaxing and forcing a smile. I was reminded of the time I had found Matthews high as a kite. Never thought I would miss that side of him.

Sonia and Tails had filled me in on the whole situation last night. I remembered hearing my communicator buzz, but had opted to ignore it. Part of me felt guilty for not being there to help, but my more pragmatic side was grateful I had stayed out of it. Call me a jerk, but I didn't find much appeal in putting my all into helping Team Sonic if it meant me being taken out by Dark, or worse. I couldn't afford that sort of risk these days- no one could.

Ugh, I needed a break. I activated my com, "General, I'm taking a walk. Be back in ten." I shut the device off before he could respond. Right now, I couldn't care less of what that gasbag thought.

The base was almost empty at this time of night, just the way I liked it. Empty meant quiet, and Chaos knows I needed some quiet in my life. The past few weeks had been filled with arguments, explosions, and the constant beeping of medical equipment. The only time I had to enjoy some silence was when I slept- that is, when I wasn't having nightmares.

I debated if I should stop by Shadow's room, but decided against it; I really didn't need that image in my head any more than it already was. Shadow was still unconscious. Nothing had changed. Nothing _ever_ changed.

The doctors claimed he was supposed to have woken up weeks ago, but something was holding him and making it harder to heal. I hadn't mentioned it to anyone because of… everything else; Sonia and Tails were obviously preoccupied, Amy couldn't sit still long enough for me to break the news to her, with all the do-gooding she'd been up to, and Knuckles wouldn't pick up his com anyway. No one needed the stress of knowing the Ultimate Lifeform wasn't responding to anything the doctors were trying. And the General had made it clear that he did _not_ need that information broadcasted to the public, so I had been given the order I knew how to follow the best: to keep my mouth shut.

I could live with that.

Gave me time to think, anyway. All those hours spent by Shadow's side? Internet. Magazines. Whatever it took to pass the time while I waited for Shadow to come to.

Generally speaking, the news articles were boring or slow. Such as " _Mina Mongoose breaks up with 'The Love of Her Life' "_ or " _Princess Elise crowned Queen of Soleana"._ Pfft... Gimme a break. Politics had never been my thing and celebrity scandals were either over exaggerated or totally fake. But now and then I'd find a gem in the wastebasket, like the one from an hour ago.

* * *

 _ **Crime Levels Skyrocket in Kingdom of Acorn**_

 _Amidst the conflict of the Acorn Civil War (see page 4A), criminals have taken advantage of the growing political turmoil and have overrun the fraying kingdom. Crime overlords that once stayed to the shadows are no longer afraid to come out in the open, operating their illegal practices without fear of arrest, due to the police force's division of loyalty between King Max and Prince Elias._

" _We in the government are striving to find a peaceful solution, and ask that every citizen do their part," said Princess Sally Acorn during a recent press conference. "Those who would choose to bring about further distress during these troubled times will soon face proper justice. The House of Acorn may be divided, but neither side will tolerate criminal actions."_

 _Gang-related homicide rates have reached record highs since the beginning of the war, with one in every four mobians currently at risk. Identified crime rings include the Babylon Rogues and the Mercian Mafia, whose leadership seems to be fluctuating between Josef Lavar and Katrina_ _Voleur, former spouses now fighting for control of the largest gang in the region (SEE PAGE 7B FOR ARTICLE)_

* * *

Katrina Voleur… there was a name I hadn't heard in a long time. Made me wonder what my big sis had been up to all these years. I'd had a feeling that _someone_ had survived. Come to think of it, their baby would be around seven or eight by now, if he had managed to escape along with them. Poor kid.

Whatever. The past was the past. Best to leave it behind.

Of course, Manic could bring it back if he felt like delivering on that blackmail. I was struck with a thought. If Manic knew about the circus, does that mean Dark knows? Great. Most likely the demon wouldn't care much about it, but I did _not_ want any more people to know about me and my stupid family.

That is, assuming he _did_ know about them. All he had bothered to mention was the circus slogan. There was still a chance that he'd been bluffing about the whole thing, but I had a hunch that wasn't the case. Who knows what dirt he had on me?- on _everyone?_...Actually, that was kind of an interesting thought. Maybe when he got better, I'd be able to squeeze some answers out of him. That is, _if_ he ever got better- no, no, _no_ , I can't let myself think like that…

Dang it, Manic, why did you have to make things so difficult?

I stared at Manic through the glass, fiddling with the locket around my neck absentmindedly. It took a moment for me to realize what I actually was doing. I glared down at the locket in disgust. Why was I even wearing this stupid thing? It had been gathering dust on my jewlery table for weeks now. I wanted to throw it away, but… It was just way too nice to pass up. Tossing out anything that had _real_ diamonds (believe me, I'd checked) went against everything I stood for. Even when that thing came from… _Manic_. The annoying, dirty, conniving little street urchin-

I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose in exasperation. Who was I kidding- he wasn't _that_ bad. For a former gangster and permanent pickpocket, he was… surprisingly kind. And since he had decided to lay off on the whole, 'please date me' phase, he had actually become somewhat bearable. Friendly Manic was infinitely better than flirty Matthews. And I had to admit he had his moments that made me smile.

And now, all of that seemed to have been stolen. The figure in the window was neither the friendly Manic or the flirty Matthews. He was... broken.

I felt a lump forming in my throat and swallowed hard, turning away from the window. Focus, Rouge. There was too much at stake here.

I turned to leave when my communicator started beeping. Private line. I answered immediately. "Agent Rouge speaking."

" _Agent Rouge, this is Doctor Andersen. I was told to notify you when anything in Agent Shadow's condition has changed."_

I felt my blood run cold, suddenly imagining all the worst possibilities. "I'm on my way."

" _Don't you want to know-"_

I hung up and flew down the hall without a response.

XXX

Shadow's POV:

Over the course of my life, I have been forced into hibernation, cryostasis, and multiple coma-like states. I can say with confidence that each experience has been nearly identical: Long, quiet, and in no way entertaining. Hence why Sonia's company had always been a welcome gesture. _Always._

-Not that I cannot handle being alone. I am perfectly capable of acting as my own company. But after going over a month without seeing anyone, it can get very old, very fast.

Sonia was decent enough company. And slightly more intelligent than I had first judged her to be. And quite good at chess. Not as good as me, obviously, but reasonably competent.

The most useful thing about her companionship, however, were her updates on the Dark situation. Every time I had ever been out of commission for an extended term, the next several weeks included short breaks to understand what had happened while I had been incapacitated. The fifty-year cryostasis had been the worst, but revenge had taken up most of my time, allowing for no history lessons. Which meant a year later, I had to recover from amnesia and a fifty-one year time skip. Needless to say, I still was not used to the modern world.

And as Sonia had not returned after I had slapped her back into reality, I assumed something must have gone horribly wrong. Which meant I needed to wake up as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, I did not have the slightest idea how, or even if I should.

With the Chaos field out of alignment, it was extremely difficult to tell if I had fully recovered from my injuries. Although my time in the coma was dull, it was a faster way to heal. Waking up in the middle of the process would not only slow the recovery time, but limit me. And when you considered recent events and what was inevitably to come, it was clear that I could not afford limits.

Perhaps if I attempted to contact Tikal again, I would receive an answer. However, the ancient guardian had been unresponsive the past five attempts. No, I was alone. As usual.

The unknown was becoming unbearable. Had Dark successfully infected Manic? Had he killed anyone? Was Sonic dead or alive? Too many questions and not enough answers.

It was time to investigate.

XXX

The first thing I saw was the nurse. She was bent over me, peering down at my face. It took a moment for her to realize I was awake.

I almost winced at the piercing scream, as the silence I had grown accustomed to shattered. The nurse stumbled back and stared at me as if I was the most terrifying thing imaginable.

I did not have time for this. I sat up and squinted down at the bandages and wires enveloping my limbs. I determined that I had no further need for them. I ripped them out easily, ignoring the sudden machine alerts that presumably warned the doctor of patient distress. The bandages were now useless on closer examination. To my relief, all wounds were now healed, if still a bit sore.

The nurse finally recovered. "Um… sir? We, uh… we still need to run some tests to make sure you have recovered comple-"

I glared at her, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. "I have recovered." It was not an opinion. The nurse pursed her lips and nodded slowly.

Rouge burst into the room, white as a sheet. She stopped short when she saw me. A flash of relief turned into annoyance. "Well, you certainly took your sweet time!"

"Shut up, Rouge."

We ignored the nurse and the two doctors outside the room, just arriving on the scene, and left the medical wing of GUN.

"What happened?" I demanded. Thankfully, Rouge left her usual snark out of the update. I was not in the mood.

"Manic is being held in a secure cell. Four fully armed guards, security cameras, steel-enforced walls with encrypted lock- the works. Visitors are kept to a minimum and he hasn't eaten or drank anything since he snapped out of Dark's control. Won't even let food get sent in. Dark Sonic has vanished and we're almost certain he's in possession of at least four chaos emeralds. Maybe five. General Towers and Knuckles have been working on plans to eradicate them both. Amy, Tails, and Sonia are protesting, but Amy seems to be coming around to reality. Tails has been working on a cure, but hasn't made much progress as far as I can tell."

"Manic's infection level?"

"Tails tested an hour ago- 58.2 percent of his blood. The infection has physically spread to cover his torso and back, and has started up his neck and onto his other arm."

"Has anyone spoken to Tikal?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right?"

"...I see. Take me to Manic's cell."

Rouge nodded and led the way without another word.

XXX

If Sonia was surprised to see me, she hid it well. The hedgehog was standing outside the cell, her gaze fixed on her brother. When Rouge saw her, she stiffened, mumbling an excuse about reporting to the general before hurrying away.

I approached slowly and stopped beside Sonia; she didn't even flinch.

"Nice to see you up and about." said Sonia, smiling bitterly, "At least Chaos hasn't _completely_ abandoned us in our time of need."

I flicked my gaze from her to Manic. "How long has he been in here?"

"Less than twenty-four hours. He is already bored."

"How can you tell?"

Sonia turned and gave me a look, "Wouldn't _you?_ "

I did not answer. Sonia turned back to her brother, her voice softer than it had been, "He hasn't moved in a while. He just… stares. Like he's thinking. Or sleeping."

"Can Manic sleep with his eyes open?"

"Manic can do a _lot_ of things I'm not aware of."

I nodded. We fell into a companionable silence, each in our own thoughts and opinions.

This was a lot to process. I had been out… two months? Three? Time doesn't exactly register when one is in a coma. There had already been a lot going on before I had been incapacitated, and that wasn't even when you factored in Dark. Depending on your point of view, Sonic's life had been revealed as a lie, albeit an understandable one. His name was fake, his family had previously been nonexistent and his relationship with Robotnik was a lot darker than anyone had ever imagined. His 'dead' siblings appeared out of thin air to arrive only to watch their elder brother be possessed by a Dark deity.

And then the team lost a very important and powerful asset: Me.

Thanks to my inability to assist the team, Robotnik had been killed off and Manic was discovered to be infected and partially possessed. It was remarkable how no other tragedies had befallen while I had been out.

Upon further examination, his entire story was similar my life, in a twisted sort of way. Family killed in horrible ways and situations. Alone for several years. Most likely extreme trauma, a compulsive desire for revenge, and a desperate need to protect the world- albeit for different reasons. Sonic cared about the people. I cared about Maria.

Of course, Sonic actually as family still alive, even if he didn't know it. Unless Dark told him. If Dark even knew. Chaos, this was becoming confusing.

Dark in itself was confusing. I had missed Tikal's history and Sonia paraphrasing had hardly helped. The way I understood it was Dark was an echidna who got too close to Chaos energy and manipulated it in ways that were not moral or correct. This somehow turned him into an actual part of the Chaos field, which Guardians and Sonic's ancestor locked in an emerald to prevent him on feeding. Dark was literally a virus that needed to feed in order to grow and not… well, _die_. Has far as I could see, Dark had just been in a comatose state inside the black emerald. Now that he was awake, he needed to feed.

Which is why Manic was strapped down in front of me, slowly turning into someone- some _thing_ he was not. In theory, Dark could possess anyone. That was terrifying in every perspective and angle. There was no telling how much he needed to feed and if there was a stopping point. I had already seen what happened when dark energy infected something like a tree- it shriveled and died. I did not want to see what would happen to Mobius if Dark decided he had no more use for it or its inhabitants.

GUN was fairly useless against something of that magnitude. They had proved that time and time again. If they could not handle and alien invasion or Robotnik, they had no chance fighting an ancient demon fresh out of hibernation. Not even Robotnik could hold his ground- even I had been overpowered. The Ultimate Life-form cast aside like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

That thought made me pause. Had Dark infected… me?

Before I could follow that happy thought, Hope entered the room, clipboard in hand. "Shadow! You're awake!" She sprinted across the room and threw her arms around me in a hug. I hesitantly wrapped one arm around her, unsure of how to react. Lucky for her, Hope was one of the few I allowed to make affectionate physical contact without being impaled with a Chaos spear.

Sonia raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment, a quizzical smile tugging at her lips.

Hope pulled away, her smile infectious. "This is perfect timing! I need your help running some tests on the new security system that I've been working on." She scribbled something on her clipboard, "The General wants to be ready if Dark decides to come back."

I almost snorted at the idea of a security system keeping Dark out, but managed to maintain a stoic appearance. "Of course, Hope. Where would you like to conduct this test?"

Hope checked her board. "I promised Tails I would help him with his cure- research and stuff, you know? But I should be free in about an hour. How about we meet in Training room 0-6 then?"

I nodded. Hope gave me another quick hug then dashed off to work, as usual. I smirked. It was almost jarring to for such a young girl maintain such a professional exterior.

Sonia spoke up a moment later, "She seems… nice."

Something about her tone threw me off. It seemed almost… forced. "Are you surprised?"

"No," Sonia hesitated for a second, "It's just that… you know…?"

I raised an eyebrow, confused. I did not have the slightest idea what she was talking about, but I had the feeling it was not something I would like. "No, I do not know. What is wrong with Hope?"

My mind was racing; Was she sick? Had something happened to her with Dark? Perhaps they had met previously and it had not gone well? Did Sonia see something I did not? It could be likely, I _had_ been in a coma the past two months. Maybe I should check on her? Or-?

"It's just that… she's… y'know… an _Overlander_."

My thoughts abruptly stopped and I slowly turned towards Sonia, expressionless and blinking. "And that is a problem... how?"

Sonia shrugged, and didn't respond immediately. "Well, I mean- you know how Overlanders are, right?"

I frowned, "I was created by an Overland-run project, befriended an Overlander who gave her life to save mine, and am currently employed by an Overlander agency. I see no problems with them."

"Yeah, but they weren't… _that_ kind of Overlander." Sonia spread her arms out in gesture, clearly uncomfortable.

I raised an eyebrow, "There is another kind?"

"No, I just mean that… ugh, never mind. Forget I said anything."

I stood there for several minutes, trying to understand. And ultimately failing. This required more research… at a later date. Perhaps now was not the time.

I remained with Sonia until it was time for me to join Hope. We parted after Sonia informed me of the team briefing General Towers had called for the following day. Something told me it was not going to be an enjoyable meeting in any sense of the word.

XXX

 **Shadow's awake! 'Bout time. But Rouge already said that, so why say it again?**

 _ **You just did.**_

 **Shut up, Halo.**

 **Alright, so we have Shadow awake, Manic infected, and Dark missing. Oh, and Sonia is racist towards Overlanders. Fun update. Not even a hero can be perfect.**

 **And before any of you flip out, let me just say: 1. This makes her a little more interesting and unique. I mean, I don't think Shadow even knows about… racism? Speciesism? Prejudice against Overlanders? I mean, he was prejudice against Mobius in general, but…**

 **Whatever. Anyway, Sonia is a little more interesting. 2. This is something we are just brushing over. It isn't really going to come up in the rest of this story. We just needed to set up something for-**

 ***drumroll please***

 _ **"UNCERTAIN BUT VERY POSSIBLE SEQUEL STORY", COMING TO THEATERS NEAR YOU**_

 **We aren't in theaters.**

 _ **That's how much you know.**_

 **Shut up, Halo.**

 **Anyway, it was a set up. Don't get excited.**

 **Please review and here's the chapter's question:**

 **Do you** _**want**_ **a sequel? Yes? No? Maybe? Like, are y'all sick and tired of reading this for the past three years (MFH included)? If you don't want one, tell us why. Because I don't want to waste four years of my life on something no one wants. If you do, also tell us why!**


	58. Found

**I have no excuse. Whatsoever. (Unless people count me not having a computer for two weeks as an excuse, and typing on your phone is not fun.)** _ **And I've been having to focus on my art full-time for the past month, which doesn't leave much time for typing. Sorry, my dudes.**_

 **So reviews and then let's move to the story.**

 **Megaman07: Well, it kind of is a spoiler...ish? Basically, a collection of small adventures. It would bot be as big as this story, not would it have an overarching story plot. Just some one shots, some two shots, and some short arcs.**

 **StarlightSparks: It would be fun adventures with some angst, but nothing DARK bad.**

 **Guest #1: Yeah, that is pretty much what the sequel would be. Family getting used to… family? I mean, it makes sense as they were all apart for years.**

 **MelGamingPlays: Shadow is back! Hooray! And to be honest, still can't believe that I am a grad…**

 **CrazyWil71: Glad you are looking forward to it. Relationships will be developed a little more in the sequel, which includes friendships, aquanticeships, and just ship ships. Shadow with an Overlander… no, I wouldn't. Actually, Halo and I do have a major story arc with Shadow planned, but I think it may be detached from the sequel.**

 **Faso: Hi Bill! Oh, and Faso. (; Just kidding, glad you enjoyed the chapter. That was a strangely specific anniversary… but hey, the title has the words "Long road" so…. Yeah. Thanks for the feedback!**

 **Hawkfeather: Well, SCRAP. I am gonna go hide while you and Havoc (and Halo) blow things up. …Are you done? Good. *reads review twelve times* I just love this and want to answer all the comments! But a lot of them get answered this chapter so I have to keep my mouth shut. *pouts***

 **SharpDragonKlaw: Aw… thanks! *adds tally to "yes" category***

 **Guest #2: So Avengers AU Sonic style as discussed between Halo and I- Iron Man is Tails, Cap is Sonic, Bucky is Shadow (okay, that one takes some explaining, but I love the idea of it), Widow is Rouge, Thor is Amy (they both have a hammer and literally there is no one else to take that spot), Knuckles is Hulk, Scarlet Witch is Sonia, Quicksilver is Manic, Uncle Chuck is Nick Fury, Pepper is Cream, Peggy is Sally, Loki is Scourge, and… that is all we planned out.**

 **Detta: Actually, two of the three arcs that you mentioned are planned. Shadow and Maria… eh, that is more of a thing that is touched upon, but that is about it. And thanks! Also coal colored hedgehog. Best description ever.**

 **ultimateCCC: The Return of the Shadow….. Eh, Star Wars does it better.**

 **That Speedhunter: The sequel would be similar to a collection of one shots and small story arcs that just add details. So no, it would not be necessary to read this. And yes, this story is a sequel. Yes, Dark is not Invincible or all-powerful. He is just... very powerful. He is currently trying to build up his power, because he used most of it in the fight against Shadow, and also when he defeated Robotnik. The reason he is collecting Chaos Emeralds is because they can be used to restore his strength quicker. But that does not mean it takes 24 hours. It takes a little longer, which is the only reason that everyone is still alive. Dark is inhabiting Sonic's body, and Sonic is simply a mobian… albeit a very powerful mobian. So he has limitations from Sonic.**

 **Dark's point of view is extremely difficult to write. I have tried. Several times. And it is basically impossible. He is very distant from the situation. He wants to kill people, kind of. He wants to take over the world, kind of. Dark has waited hundreds if not thousands of years to get here. He is a very patient person. Small victories is what what he aims for. Dark basically wants to become a god, greater than even Chaos himself. And it takes a long time to get there. To Dark, this fight is nothing. He doesn't care about any of these people, he doesn't think they can stop him. So most of what his thoughts would be on would have absolutely nothing to do with the storyline. It would have to do with a hundred years in the future. Or the past. And we really do not need more lore in this story. So sorry, but no Dark POV.**

 **Autumn: Jealous. My family has been going on a lot of trips- without me. So… very bored.**

 **tailsboom1992: *reads review five hundred times* I am sorry, but… I don't understand what you were trying to say. But good luck with college! And that goes for me too… And I don't follow Halo because…. I honestly don't have an excuse for this. I just don't follow her. Um… maybe because she hasn't posted anything in forever? Or that she doesn't write fics by herself? She has her comics, why would she do fics?** _ **Yeah, I don't blame Era for not following me. The only real story I've ever attempted on this site was a Gravity Falls fic, and I haven't updated that in like two years. What can I say? I have trouble staying focused! (curse you, ADHD...) The only reason I'm still with LRH is 'cuz I've got Era to keep me from getting distracted.**_

 **ITSRaginingRando: Hallow! I have no idea. Sonic in the kitchen is a mystery best left unsolved.**

 **zanguetsu: I understood fine. Thank you kindly for your words and I will add another tally to the "yes" column. Hope you continue to enjoy the story!**

 **Jessy Diaz: Lo siento amiga. Gracias por tu paciencia.**

 **And we're off!**

XXX

Shadow's POV:

"All right, people, sit down and shut up," said the General gruffly, standing at the head of the table, holding a thick stack of papers. "We've got a lot to cover in today's meeting and no time to waste."

Everyone was present- even Manic. At Sonia's insistence, we had brought in a large television screen that broadcasted from his cell, enabling him to participate in the conference. It was difficult to tell whether or not he was appreciative of this- in the time I had known Manic before I was taken out of commission, I had never known him to keep his mouth shut or his hands still for longer than a minute, and it was rare that he'd be seen without a smile on his face. Everything had changed since then; Manic had turned a ghostly shade of gray, although that might have been due to his recent refusal to accept food. Any movements he made were jerky and agitated, as if he were expecting someone jump out from behind him; his pupils skitted around like ping-pong balls, never daring to make eye contact or focusing on one thing for longer than a second.

Sonia's condition was not much better; I had hardly noticed before how the massive amounts of stress she had been under was affecting her, but at this point, it was impossible not to. Her skin had paled to a sickly greenish-gray. Her eyes were sunken and surrounded with dark circles; bloodshot, like she had been crying. Even while she was sitting down, Sonia swayed back and forth, looking like she was going to collapse at any second. Knuckles placed a gentle hand on her back; she barely noticed.

General Towers motioned for Miles to step forward. "Before we start the discussion- Miles, please tell everyone what you told me before the meeting."

Miles looked uncomfortable and hesitantly stood up, "I, um… I tested Manic's blood again this morning. Dark has infected approximately 61.3 percent of his blood. And… i-it's starting to look like the infection spreads faster the larger it gets."

All eyes turned to Manic, who suddenly seemed interested in his shoes. His fingers tapped wildly and he muttered something under his breath, gritting his teeth. Sonia bit her lower lip and quickly placed her hand over her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Have you found any way to reverse it?" Amy asked softly, her tone uncertain.

Tails shook his head. "Nothing. Dark isn't like most viruses. He's got a mind of his own. Based on what we've discovered so far, it's gonna take something incredibly powerful to even _begin_ to cleanse the infection- or even contain it."

"So what are we waiting for? Let's get something powerful!" Sonia burst out desperately, her expression hopeful. "What do we have that would work?"

"That's just it- we _don't_ ," said Tails, shaking his head. "Dark seems to absorb Chaos energy, so using an emerald is out of the question. And that's the only thing I can think of that could possibly be powerful enough to combat Dark. There are other, similar sources of magical energy, like Anarchy Beryl and the Phantom Ruby, but we don't even know where they _are,_ much less if they'll work."

"Couldn't we _try?_ " Sonia pleaded. "W-we can go search for them! I'm sure GUN has some clue of where they can be found-"

The General shook his head sadly. "Any knowledge of where the Phantom Ruby is located died along with Robotnik. And the only place we've uncovered Anarchy Beryl is in an alternate dimension," he said. "By the time we got to it- assuming we got to it _at all_ \- Manic would be far beyond our help. I'm sorry."

Sonia began to tremble violently, and it was a moment before I realized she was crying again. Knuckle wrapped his arm around her, though it was clear that it was doing little to comfort her. Everyone else was completely silent.

In the end, it was Manic who broke the tension. "Well then," he said, laughing nervously. "You guys have any other brilliant ideas? Cuz, y'know… th-there's really only one option left."

" _No."_ said Sonia defiantly, narrowing her eyes. "We've already established that that is _not_ an option, Manic. Don't… don't even _joke_ like that."

Manic laughed again, staring down at his restless hands. "Wasn't joking," he said all too cheerfully, his smile wavering.

Sonia stood up so suddenly she knocked back her chair. "That- is _not_ \- an _OPTION!"_ she shouted, clenching her fists. "There _has_ to be another way! Knuckles, back me up here!"

"Sonia…" said Knuckles tensely, averting his gaze. "At this point… what other choice do we have?"

Sonia's eyes smoldered and Knuckles wisely backed away, holding up his hands up in surrender; this did nothing to pacify her. Sonia opened her mouth to shout something, but Manic cut her off before the fight could start.

"Look sis, the way I see it we have two options. One, lock me up and do next to _nothing_ as Dark takes total control of me right, then sit back and watch as he uses me to kill everyone I know and love- _or_ we can end this. Right here, right now." Manic looked up at the flickering lights above, refusing to look Sonia in the eye. "I'm not asking you or anyone else to pull the trigger. I can do that myself."

Sonia looked somewhere between a total mental breakdown and a psychotic rampage- I could not decide which was worse. General Towers finally spoke up, "We haven't come to a final decision at this moment. We are just laying out the options."

"If that is the case, when _are_ we coming to a decision?" I asked quietly.

General Towers hesitated for a moment before his usual steely expression reappeared, "By Friday, at the latest."

Three days then. I frowned. Was that enough time to… 'stop' Dark? Assuming that was even possible.

Five minutes later, we broke the meeting. I escorted Sonia to her guest room to get some much needed rest. She was too tired to protest. An hour later, I took over for Rouge on guard duty. The last thing I needed was more sleep.

XXX

The alarm went off two minutes after midnight and, unfortunately, it was not a malfunction in the system. Stringing curses together, I motioned for two guards to follow me before rushing out the door.

According to their reports, Manic had broken out of his cell. Why GUN had not upgraded their security in the past four hours based on Miles' information presented at the meeting, I did not know. But I did know that whoever had decided that Manic did not need extra guards was going to find themselves on the wrong side of my gun.

"I need eyes on Manic. _Now._ "

The guard to my right flinched. Someone on the communications array hesitantly replied, " _Yes, sir."_

I sprinted down the hall, leaving the guards in my dust. One of the lieutenants began to call me back via radio, insisting that the area had been quarantined at the General's orders. I ignored her and went directly to the cell. Towers was already there, standing off to the side, gun drawn.

As far as I could tell, Manic had somehow picked the lock on his restraints before waiting for the guards' shift to end. He then knocked out the two guards in his cell before sprinting out the door and took down the two guards waiting outside. After that, he... vanished. The General suspected it to be the work of Dark. I suspected differently.

I knelt down and found a pulse on each guard. That alone told me Dark had not taken control- these men would have been dead otherwise. But the breakout had still been violent. One man had his arm broken; another, his ankle. The other two guards were bruised and beaten, half conscious and moaning in pain. This had clearly been a desperate attempt at escape, but it was sloppy. I got to my feet, inspecting the area. The security console was damaged. Manic had cracked the security codes and all cameras on the lower levels were down. He had then smashed the main screen and keyboard. This was planned.

"Um... sir?" The two men that had come with me had finally arrived.

I ignored them, turning my focus to the shattered remains of the console. If I could digitally connect to the security mainframe, I could find the hedgehog faster than I could on foot. I grabbed the broken screen and tore it cleanly away, revealing the inner workings of the main computer. Suddenly, I recoiled, hissing at a sharp pain in my right hand; the thick glass had cut through my glove and left a deep gash. I swallowed the pain, determining that it would have to be resolved later.

General Towers barked orders while I worked. "Begin searching floors B4 and B5. Sweep every room, every closet, every air duct. I want each level cleared in the next fifteen minutes. We already have units covering access points to the surface. Manic _does not_ leave this building, am I understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" the two guards bellowed before hurrying out of the room.

General Towers hurried to my side, watching as I spliced and rewired the console. "You've done this before, I presume?"

I yanked out a particularly stubborn wire and wound it to the small handheld computer Miles had given to me for a winter holiday. "A few times."

"Any of it legal?"

The computer powered up and I began to run the program. "Some."

Towers rolled his eyes, but didn't seem surprised. "Need any help?"

"No."

"In that case-" General Towers patted his gun, "I'll be upstairs trying to shoot a demon." He was at the door before I spoke.

"It is not Dark at work here, General."

Towers glanced back, his expression dubious. "If you say so." He turned away, running to join his men as the lockdown alarm began to blare.

I received a call from Rouge a short time later which I promptly ignored. Something told me there was not a lot of time and accessing the live camera feed was proving more difficult than I anticipated. Manic had damaged the network more thoroughly than I thought.

I felt a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, the same one I had gotten that horrible night on the ARK. The feeling you get before something terrible happens, like an early warning system.

Finally, the data loaded and the camera feed activated. Most showed GUN soldiers marching or running with guns at the ready, locking and clearing rooms. I'd give him this: Manic was much smarter than anyone gave him credit for. He had steered away from the heavier traffic, most likely taking a back staircase or crawling through the air ducts. I eliminated the hallway cameras and main rooms from the feed. That left the smaller labs, the holding cells, and the parking garage two floors up. The garage seemed unlikely- Manic was not trying to leave. At least, not like that. The prison cells followed; as he just escaped a cell, there would be no reason to head to another.

The bio-lab was empty, as was engineering. Physics and astrophysics had two men each, but they were each taking cover behind their desks due to the alarms and storming soldiers. The chemistry lab's camera was dark, and no matter what I tried, I couldn't patch through; something- or some _one_ \- was blocking me from the feed. Rookie mistake.

I snapped the computer shut and disconnected the wires. Found him.

XXX

When I burst into the lab, Manic was sitting on top of the counter, holding a vial of amber liquid with both hands. He flinched at the sight of me, jumping off the counter and backing away, holding the vial protectively against his chest. I halted halfway across the room, averting my gaze and leaning up against the wall.

Manic stared at me, narrowing his eyes and grasping the vial tighter. "I'm not going back, Shads. You can't make me."

"That was not my intention."

He blinked in surprise, raising an eyebrow. I suddenly felt an uncomfortable sensation wash over me, as if some invisible force was invading my mind; it irked me. I closed my eyes, doing my best to push it back or at least block it out.

Manic grimaced, frustrated. "Look, I'm not an idiot, Edgelord. You didn't hunt me down for a friendly visit. What's your angle?"

I blinked once. "Nothing."

Manic raised an eyebrow. "Nothing? Really? _That's_ what you're sticking with?...you _do_ know what I'm gonna do, right?"

I nodded. "I have my suspicions."

"And... you ain't gonna stop me?"

I nodded again. Manic's jaw tightened and the same unpleasant feeling of intrusion pierced into me. After a moment, his expression cleared, the look in his eyes sympathetic and almost… understanding. "Oh…"

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what exactly he was seeing. Manic shook his head and turned back to his vial of chemicals, looking unsure of his selection. He must have decided it would not do the job and turned back to the rack, shuffling around the bottles and muttering to himself.

After several minutes a handful of vials were unceremoniously eliminated. I finally spoke. "May I ask you something?"

Manic grinned, but the pain in his eyes overpowered any sense of mischief. "You just did, genius." I did not even blink; Manic smirked. "Aw, lighten up, Stripes. Sure you can ask me something, just make it quick."

I breathed in deeply, crossing my arms. "Do you... _want_ to die?"

Manic froze, his hand over a bottle of translucent blue liquid. The smile was still on his face, but it was wavering, looking like it was about to shatter at any moment.

"...no," he said, his voice tiny, hardly above a whisper. He paused before continuing, sounding harsher and more determined. "But... I want Dark to die. An' that's all that matters."

I nodded slowly, leaving him to his search. "There are some chemical samples in the cabinet behind you that should provide a quick and relatively painless… er, end."

Manic froze up for a second before facing me again. "And you know this _how…?"_

I did my best to keep my expression as neutral as possible, but my efforts were in vain. The hedgehog blinked a few times as realization dawned on his face, "Oh- _OH._ " He shuffled his feet awkwardly and coughed a few times. "Uh… Any reason you haven't- I mean, uh, you feel- if you ever need to talk or anything, uh, I- chaos, this is embarrassing." He pinched the bridge his nose and squeezed his eyes shut.

"If you know anything about me- and I take it that you _do-_ " I started slowly, "Then you need not ask that."

Manic laughed nervously, "Well, no. I don't. All I got is some old dude in a lab coat and a blonde chick named Maria."

Despite myself, I physically flinched at the name. It may have been over fifty years ago according to time, but the combination of cryostasis and amnesia made it seem much shorter in my mind. Manic noted the reaction and mumbled an apology under his breath, which I ignored. While I struggled to regain control over my emotions, he picked the lock on the cabinet door and found the vials.

Manic hopped up on the counter, tossing the vials from hand to hand and swinging his legs. "Can I ask _you_ a question now?"

I paused for a moment, then nodded hesitantly.

"Why are you so… calm about all this?" he asked, incredulous. "Like, I thought you was gonna try and drag me back to the cell or something, but you… aren't. I mean, you _know_ what I gotta do, and you ain't even gonna try an' stop me. Why?"

"You read minds. You already know."

Manic glared at me, "Hearing it in someone's head and hearing it out loud are two very different things. Besides, I don't trust my readings from you, because _you,_ sir, are a _vault_. For all I know, you're somehow projecting false thoughts to trick me into letting down my guard. So spill."

I raised an eyebrow, taking a step back. "I do not believe you have ever been this frank with me."

"Yeah, well…" Manic smirked, tossing a vial in the air and catching in his palm. "Let's just say I ain't been myself lately. Besides, I'm already dead, ain't like I got anything to lose. Now answer the question or just chaos spear me through the face and get it over with."

I thought for a moment before answering, "Someone once sacrificed their life for mine. In a way, you are doing the same for your sister."

Manic looked down at the vial in his hands, a soft smile forming at the edges of his mouth. "Good answer." His hands shook as he unstopped the bottle. "So… I guess this is it."

"Manic, I want to warn you-"

"Oh boy, here it comes," Manic chuckled, "Shoulda seen this coming- you're playing good cop."

"Pardon?"

Manic rolled his eyes with a sneer. "You're going for the nice guy routine. Oh, _sure_ , you ain't gonna _physically_ stop me, but you'll go right into playing therapist and try to talk me into thinking I'm being unreasonable. Seen it a million times, pal, you ain't fooling nobody."

I ignored him, "This will not save Sonia, Manic."

I seemed to have struck a nerve at that; Manic's fists clenched and his nostrils flared- I couldn't tell if he wanted to hit me or was trying to set me on fire with his mind. "What are you _smoking_ , Shads? Of _course_ it will! If I'm _dead_ , I can't hurt her- or anyone else, for that matter! Geez, this is kindergarten logic!"

I tightened my fists and felt the urge to summon a chaos spear, but managed to restrain myself. "All true. You will not physically hurt her. But you will still kill her, at least in a different sense."

"You're gonna have to be a bit more clear, Ultimate Philosopher, 'cuz you lost me."

"Mentally. Emotionally. Trust me, I know."

Manic opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to make another snarky comment, but paused as the gears began turning in his head. An expression of worry crossed over his face; his fingers began tapping nervously, threatening to let the vial in his hands fall.

"If you go through with this, your sister is _never_ going to be the same," I spat, the bubble of anger I had been suppressing rising up in my chest. "Dark may not be able to get to her, but you… you are the most important person in the world to her. And have you forgotten how she reacted to losing Sonic? Do you _really_ think she will _ever_ be able to properly function after this?"

Manic bit down on his lower lip, refusing to look me in the eye. "You… you ain't got any idea what you're talking 'bout, Shads. This is _Sonia_ , she'll… she'll get over it!" Manic insisted, his voice shaking.

I folded my arms in front of me, shaking my head. "I disagree."

There was a long silence as I allowed for him to let that sink in.

"So... what you're saying is..." Manic choked out, his entire body was shaking from either shock, fear, and anger. Perhaps all three. "Is that... n-no matter what I do, I'm… I'm hurting her."

I nodded. Manic stared at the vial like it was the most interesting thing on Mobius. "I… I can't hurt her. I would never be able to live with myself if Dark…" His voice died and he closed his hands around the vial. "I have to. You… you've gotta understand, Shadow. Please."

The peculiar part of this whole experience was that I _did_ understand- in a twisted sort of way. I did not agree with Manic's actions, necessarily, but I at least understood. Manic must have read me; he relaxed slightly. He bit his lip and slowly came around the counter toward me, "Look, Shadow, I… I know we ain't never got along too well, but... Listen, I've got a favor to ask you."

I looked up, my interest piqued. I had sensed no hint of humor in his voice; for once, he sounded completely serious. Not to mention that Manic did not seem like the type who'd casually ask a favor from the Ultimate Lifeform. I nodded hesitantly, gesturing for him to continue.

Manic inhaled deeply, shoving his hands in his pockets and shuffling his feet. "Can you… help Sonia? Like, keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't do anything stupid or something like that. She's got like, Knuckles and Tails and stuff, but…" He scratched the back of his neck, "I'd just feel better if…" His voice trailed off and died, and he swallowed back the lump forming in his throat. "Just take care of her, okay?"

I stepped forward and nodded, "You have my word."

Manic allowed a small smile, "And everyone knows what that means."

We stood about a foot apart in silence for a few moments before Manic spoke, pointing at the ground. "Well… see you down there."

"Do you not mean," I pointed up, " _Up_ there?"

"Heh, wow, you do _not_ know me that well, do you?"

"This is technically our first real conversation."

"...touché." Manic held out his hand, which I promptly took in mine. "Guess this is it, Shads- _**YEEOW!"**_

I yanked back my arm, a sharp pain shooting up my palm to my elbow before fading completely. Manic, on the other hand, was clutching his right hand close to his chest, down on his knees and howling in pain.

"HOLY-FRIKKIN- _**GEEZ**_ _,_ WHAT WAS _THAT_ FOR? _OWW!"_ he shouted, his teeth clenched and his eyes screwed shut. His vial had dropped to the ground and shattered at his feet, the liquid slowly spreading out across the tile flooring.

I took a few steps back and tried to process what had happened. My right hand was now covered in a fresh layer of dark green blood from my cut. Had glass been embedded in my skin and cut Manic? No, I would have noticed if there had been- besides, even if that had been the problem, Manic surely would not have reacted like this. Was my blood toxic to other living beings? Previous experience said no.

Manic was now recovering, standing up with shaking limbs. "Dude, what did you _do_ to me?"

"I… am not sure."

"Okay then…" Manic wandered back over to the cabinet for a replacement chemical. "Weird." He picked out a vial and uncorked it, avoiding the use of his right hand. It must have still been stinging from… whatever had happened. "At least Dark shut up for a minute."

That caught my attention. "He went silent?"

"Well… yeah. I mean, he'll probably start up- ah, there he is." Manic frowned, his eyes widening. "Woah. He hates you, man. Like, a lot. Like, he's describing all of the possible murder weapons in this room and how to use them. Oh… oh my gosh. That's just sick. Geez, how many are there in here?"

"One hundred and two- three, if we are counting the floor." My answer was distracted. There was something right in front of me that I could not see. Something important.

Manic blinked, "Uh… how do you kill someone with- you know what? I don't wanna know." He uncorked the vial and smiled grimly. "Bottoms up." Manic lifted the vial to his mouth-

-and that was when I saw it. Faster than Sonic, I zipped across the room and grabbed Manic's arm, pulling the vial out of his hand and flinging it across the room. Manic tried to free himself from my grip, shrieking in pain, but I refused to let go.

After several seconds, Manic threw a left-hook across my face. It startled me enough that I let go and the green hedgehog collapsed to the ground, breathing heavy. "What… what's your _damage_ , bruh? First you say you're not… gonna stop me… and now… now _this_! Make up your mind already!"

"Manic, shut up and look at your arm."

"What's so great about-?" His voiced died for a second before letting out a small, "Oh."

What was once pitch black, his arm now bore several splotches of grayish-tan. The black was steadily filling itself in, but still- it was there. I spoke up again, "Your hand has a similar spot- if a bit smaller."

Manic blinked, "Oh." He took a few deep breaths, as if trying to calm himself.

I pushed ahead, "Can you hear Dark?"

"... Oh." Manic finally looked at me, his eyes wide. "Explain, please."

I hesitated. "We need to see Miles."

"But-"

"Manic, if this does not work, I will personally make sure you… finish what you started in this room. I swear."

Manic looked back at the cabinet, then to me. "...Okay. But only 'cuz you got me curious."

I smirked despite myself, pulling out my communicator and praying to whatever god was listening that my hunch was right.

XXX

Sonia's POV:

When I found Shadow, I was going to kill him.

One: when Manic broke out, I should have been the _first_ one he contacted. But _no_ , I wake up at three in the morning to Rouge demanding to know where my brother and Shadow had vanished to. I am _not_ a morning person, and even if I was, Rouge is most definitely not the first thing I want to see when I wake up.

Two: She and I had to team up. Enough said.

And three: when we were rushing down the halls trying to find either hedgehog, we heard screaming. Very familiar screaming that I knew personally, mainly from the months spent on the streets running from people with guns. Just the sound of it made my blood run cold, and only further stirred my growing desperation to bring a violent end to whoever was triggering it.

I'm gonna be totally honest here, how we found him was something I would have never dreamed. For one, Tails was playing mad scientist on Manic. Lab coat, goggles, even an Overlander assistant (was her name Hope? I honestly didn't remember). And he was laughing while shouting at the girl to bring him more blood, to which she cheerfully obliged. Manic was strapped down to a table and screaming, writhing in pain, straining to get free.

But you know what? That wasn't the weirdest part!

Shadow was sitting in a corner off to the side. He had an IV in one arm, but other than that, nothing expressed that he was anything but bored. He couldn't even be bothered to pay proper attention- no, he was busy with the _morning crosswords._

I think that was when I snapped.

The next thing I knew, I had Tails in a chokehold and was pointing my gun at Hope. "SHADOW, YOU'VE GOT ABOUT _FIVE SECONDS_ TO LET MY BROTHER GO, OR _**THESE TWO DIE."**_ I snarled, tightening my grip on the gun.

Shadow glanced up from the crossword, then looked back down, completely uninterested. Rouge fluttered over to her partner, looking alarmed. "I knew she was gonna snap. I just didn't think I'd get to witness it first hand."

Before I could threaten again, a kitchen timer on the side counter dinged. I flinched and Tails gasped for air. "Son...ia… le' me go-" he choked, clawing at my arm, eyes bulging.

Manic's screams had turned to heavy, labored breaths as he finally opened his eyes, looking exhausted. "Man, that stuff is a beast, guys- and _holy_ crap, Sonia why are you choking Tails?" he demanded, turning to me. "Put him down! And what's with the gun? Put that down too!"

"I'm trying to save you!" I whirled around, pointing the gun at him.

Manic flinched so hard he banged his head against the table, "Woah, watch it! You could kill someone with that!"

" _That's the idea!"_ I pointed it back at Hope, who immediately put her hands in the air in surrender. "Listen close, overlander- I'll give you ten whole seconds to let my brother go or I'm gonna pump you so full of lead they'll have to bury you standing up. One… _two…"_

"Sonia, _cool it!_ " shouted Manic, startling me so badly I accidently shot into the floor. Hope shrieked and fell backwards, scooting away until her back hit the wall. Rouge swooped over to untie one of Manic's restraints, but he gently swatted her away.

"I-AM- _FINE."_ he insisted, looking me dead in the eye. "Tails and Hope are trying to _help_ me, sis! Can you just like, _chill_ or something?"

I drew a sharp breath, feeling my resolve faltering. "You- you're sure?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"Positive," he said firmly, but more calmly than I thought possible, "You mind putting Tails down? He's turning blue."

I glanced down at the fox and hurriedly dropped him, mortified. "Oh my gosh! Chaos, I… I am _so_ sorry!"

"Oxygen…" Tails gasped, "Beautiful, beautiful element number eight…" I went to help him up, but he physically jerked back about five feet. "Yeah, um, I'm gonna steer clear of you for the next… forever. " he muttered, straightening his lab coat.

Shadow finally deemed the situation worthy of his attention, "Sonia, they are working on a cure for Dark. Let them live."

I froze up for a second, trying to process the words. "Then why didn't you tell me that in the first place?"

Manic cut in, "Well, I _was_ in incredible pain… and Shadow was busy with the crosswords, I assume. Didja get number four across yet?"

"No…" said Shadow, furrowing his brow in concentration. "I am afraid I do not know what a 'pokemon' is. Or what the third in the original rap was."

Manic immediately brightened. "Aw, dude! I know that whole thing by _heart,_ frontwards and backwards! 'Kay, how does it start… oh yeah! Electrode, Diglett, Nidoran, Mankey…"

Shadow scribbled down ' _Nidoran'_ before turning back to Tails. "Explain it to her, Miles."

Tails stepped forward, dusting himself off. His face was almost back to its normal color, but I noticed that he was careful to stay outside my reach. "Shadow and Manic came in here this morning around one with new information on a cure." He pulled up a hard-light hologram of a DNA strand and some blood cells. "And it was quite… illuminating. Yeah. That's a good word for it."

I decided to get comfortable and propped myself up on a counter. Tails continued, "Shadow's DNA consists of a combination of Mobian and Black Arm strands, which is why Shadow is… well, Shadow." he said with a shrug.

"Black _what?_ " I interrupted.

Tails gestured towards Shadow, "It's complicated. All you need to know is Shadow is half-alien. That's the Black Arms part."

My eyes flicked to the hedgehog, who must have figured out another word because he was scribbling away at his paper. Somehow, him being half-alien didn't surprise me much.

"Anyway, the Black Arms are a hive mind," said Tails. "Their… king? Queen? Let's just say leader, they have the ability to… well, mind control their kind."

"Nice family," muttered Rouge. She smirked down at Shadow's crossword, "That's Montana Badger, hon. And it's the third movie, not the second." Shadow stared at her blankly.

Tails tapped a few icons on his tablet, narrowing in on the DNA strand and pointing at a few pieces. "Luckily, there's a plus side to all this. Inside their genetic code there is… well, an immune system of sorts, designed to fight off any would-be possessors."

"-Eevee, Exeggutor, Kabutops, Zapdos-"

I raised an eyebrow, "Wait, they have a defense mechanism against… _mind control?"_

"If it's not the Black Arms trying to control them, then yes." Tails shrugged, "I don't understand it completely either- but…" He exited out of the DNA strand and pulled up the blood cells. "This is something we can use. Hope and I have been working on it, and we think we almost have the serum perfected."

"Why can't you just inject him with Shadow's blood? Seems like it'd be less work." I asked.

Tails shot me a quizzical look and I immediately shrunk back. "Well, if my endgame was to kill him, then yeah, let's do it. 'Course, you would know all about the whole murder thing, now wouldn't you, Captain Chokehold?"

"I _said_ I was sorry."

Tails smiled unconvincingly; he clearly had not forgiven me just yet. "In order for the serum to _not_ kill him upon injection, we have to first separate the Black Arms DNA from the Mobian and dilute it down with several chemical compounds so it doesn't kill Manic on contact and so Manic's own immune system doesn't reject it."

"-gotta catch 'em all, _Pokemon!"_ Manic finished before bowing his head, "Thank you, thank you all. Do I hear an encore? _Backwards,_ you say? Well, I've never been one to disappoint my fans-"

Tails interrupted before the torture could begin again. "Manic, um, how 'bout you don't? Unless you want Dark inside you longer than needed."

"Actually, I think the rap is driving him away. He hasn't talked the entire time. Hey, maybe that's the cure!"

"Or-" Tails motioned at the test tubes and notes on his work table, "It was the most recent shot we gave you."

"...oh yeah. That could work too."

I cleared my throat to get both of their attention. "Exactly how long will this take?"

Tails looked at his notes. "Uh… about six or seven hours, give or take. if we don't stop for breakfast."

Manic groaned. "Aw, man… I wanted waffles."

I let out a laugh, "You _always_ want waffles."

"Not true," Manic grinned, "Last week I wanted smiley face pancakes. With ice cream."

"You covered those pancakes in ketchup," I replied, stifling a grin.

"I wanted to pretend it was the blood of my enemies- er, um, correction: _Dark_ wanted to pretend it was the blood of my enemies. I was cool with just being a saber-toothed tiger feasting upon its prey, but hey, Dark's Dark." he shrugged. "Honestly, though, I think I prefer ketchup over syrup on pancakes. It's got this nice tangy flavor. Seriously, you should try it someti- why are you crying?"

Despite myself, tears had begun to stream down my face while I was busy laughing. Manic… he was back. He was himself again."You're… you're going to be okay," I stammered, my voice beginning to crack. "Like, _okay_ okay."

Manic smiled softly, eyes twinkling. "Come on, you never really doubted me, didja?"

I shook my head quickly. "Never."

"Good to hear," Manic said with a wink, turning to Tails and grinning. "I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille," he said, batting his eyelashes.

Tails frowned, clearly confused. "Is that a reference to something?"

Manic groaned. "Forget it! These things are lost on you! Uncultured swine."

"What in Mobius is… ' _Casablanca'_?" spoke up Shadow from the corner. "That sounds fake."

Manic shook his head in contempt, "I hate you all."

XXX

It took precisely seven hours, twenty-three minutes, and forty-two seconds for Tails and Hope to perfect the cure. At that point, Manic was so sick of shots and needles that he claimed to have developed 'trypanophobia', whatever that meant.

"-on the bright side, though, Dark's finally shut up for longer than a minute," he said cheerfully as Tails began to untie his restraints. "Stinks that I've still got these gray splotches on my arms, but hey, what can ya do? Silver lining: they kinda look like really weird, artsy tattoos. I'll just say they're a metaphor or something."

The final buckle on his left wrist was unhooked and Manic sat straight up, looking relieved. "Sweet, _sweet_ freedom, how I've missed your embrace!" he laughed, rubbing his wrists, smiling to broadly I thought he was going to burst.

I stood up, feeling cramped and slow; I'd been sitting off in the corner for most of the seven and a half hours, only leaving once to use the bathroom. It was draining, but I couldn't bring myself to leave when Manic was in such pain. Rouge and Shadow must have felt the same way, apparently, because all the while I was there, they were there alongside me. It was slightly off-putting, but a part of me appreciated the company.

I turned to Manic with a smile, expecting him to hop off the table and do a cartwheel or something. But… he didn't. Manic was breathing heavily, clutching his stomach like he was about to be sick. His hands shook and the expression on his face was one of sheer terror.

"Oh no…" he muttered, shaking his hand. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no…"

"What, what's the matter?" asked Tails. Manic whipped around to face him, eyes wild.

"Put the restraints back on! _HURRY!_ " he shouted, beginning to twitch; the sick feeling of realization settled in the pit of my stomach as I leapt forward to help tie him down.

Out of nowhere Manic began to convulse, hissing and retching as his eyes flashed from their usual blue to pitch black. He struggled against the table's restraints so hard that the one on his left hand snapped off nearly the moment it had been re-fastened; Shadow and Rouge jumped up from their seats, Shadow holding Manic's arm down and Rouge grabbing the strap and tying it in a knot around his wrist. Tails grabbed his syringe and plunged it into Manic's thigh, ignoring his unearthly screams.

Manic growled through his teeth. "Back… _OFF!_ "

I was about come to Tails' defense when Manic spoke again, his tone harsher than before. " _NO!_ I have worked _too hard_ at perfecting this vessel for you to unravel everything now! _GIVE IT BACK!"_

Everyone froze in place and we all watched, equally horrified, as Manic kicked the bindings on his legs, snapping off the one shackling his right ankle. I grabbed it and held it down, trying to keep from getting kicked in the face. Shadow yelled at Rouge to go for backup as Manic began to scream, his head snapping back. I wasn't sure if she listened, but frankly, I didn't care.

"Tails, give him another shot! Stat!" I ordered through gritted teeth.

Tails was already shaking his head, "His last one was barely a minute ago, we have to give it time to disperse! If we overwhelm his system, it could kill him!"

"So _what_ then? We wait this out?" I demanded, shouting over Manic's screams.

Tails nodded grimly, "I already did the calculations. Three and a half shots in a ten minute period. I'll give him the third in about two minutes."

The minutes felt more like an eternity; all I could do was hold down my brother and pray that everything would turn out alright. After the third shot, things got a lot better. Manic's convulsions died down to faint twitches and moans until he completely collapsed from exhaustion. By the time Tails gave him the last of the cure, Manic was out cold.

Once everything seemed safe, I took a step back; my knuckles had turned white and I was out of breath from the exertion.

"What…" I said slowly. "In _Chaos…_ was _that?"_

Tails had turned an ashy shade of white, frantically running through the formulas on his tablet. "I… we've _grossly_ underestimated Dark," he stammered. "Somehow… somehow, despite being weakened by the cure, he's managed to reawaken himself. Presumably to try and retake control of Manic."

"How is this even possible? He should be _gone!_ "

Tails shook his head sadly. "Dark is a virus, Sonia. Not only that, but he's a virus with a mind of his own. The cure's definitely succeeded in suppressing him, but if he's managed to infiltrate Manic's immune system without detection, then we might never be able to truly get rid of him."

I felt my blood run cold and had to grab onto the table for support. "S-so… Manic is going to be Dark… forever?"

"I didn't say that," Tails responded quickly. "No, the Black Arms serum should be more than enough to keep the virus from immerging again. But Dark… he's always gonna be a part of Manic. A small part, granted, but still."

The laboratory door burst open and Knuckles and Rouge rushed in, wide eyed and out of breath. Rouge swooped over to Tails, grabbing him by his coat collar with an almost murderous look in her eye.

"What happened? Is he okay? Did Dark take over again? I want _ANSWERS,_ kid!" she shouted, shaking him so hard his teeth rattled.

"H-h-he's f-i-i-ine," Tails stammered. Behind them, Manic groaned, his eyes fluttering open. Rouge immediately dropped Tails and whirled around, a relieved grin on her face.

" _Maniac!"_ she shouted, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Manic's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates; out of nowhere, Rouge planted a kiss on his cheek, then promptly punched him in the arm.

"If you _ever_ do that again," she seethed, clenching her fists, "Then _so help me_ , I will _end_ you, Hedgehog. Have I made myself _perfectly clear?_ "

"Crystal…" said Manic, staring off into the distance. "What… what just happened?"

"I smacked you."

"No, no- before that."

" _Nothing._ Got it?"

"...Yes, ma'am," he said, a grin slowly inching its way up his face.

I turned to Knuckles, feeling like I had just swallowed a lemon. "I can't do anything about _that_ , can I?" I asked, pointing at Manic and Rouge. Manic was still dazed and grinning like an idiot, while Rouge was standing off in the corner, trying to hide the redness in her cheeks.

Knuckles tilted his head slightly. "No. I don't think you can."

" _Peachy._ " I straightened up, trying not to imagine the two of them together. Just the thought was… _ugh._ No. "But that doesn't mean I can't try."

"Good luck with that." said Knuckles with a sigh.

Manic winked at Rouge and grinned as she placed a hand to cover her smile. I narrowed my eyes at the bat; I didn't trust her in the slightest. If she thought she could just waltz in out of the blue and toy with _my brother's_ feelings… ooh boy, that floozy had another thing coming.

It was a moment before I realized that I had been clenching my jaw so tightly, I had given myself a headache. I felt like getting up to give Rouge a piece of my mind, but before I could try, Tails hurriedly showed everyone out of the room, "Alright, people, Manic needs rest and I need quiet! Cures don't replicate themselves! Out, all of you! Especially you, Rouge, that was… gross."

Manic laid back and closed his eyes, "Ah, Tails. The day will come when all will be made clear to you."

"And that day is not today. Out."

XXX

 **Well, sorry about the wait, but at least it ended on a positive note.**

 **Halo and I have been talking about the arcs of the sequel and are getting super hyped! But first we have to finish this story, so… yep. _PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE, PLEASE DON'T KILL US._**

 **Review question: Let's do a pretty basic one. Favorite Sonic the Hedgehog character! (and if you feel like it, tell us why). You can do the comics, TV shows, video games, different universes, whatever. We'd love to hear which ones you guys like!**

 **I would have to say mine is Shadow because of his character depth and character arc (that Sega has seemed to have abandoned…). Although a close second is Zonic. Why? Wish I knew. I just think he is cool. _For me, it's pretty much any character from the pre-SGW Archie universe, especially Scourge, Fiona, and the Suppression Squad. (although, to be honest, I kinda like them more for their potential as characters rather than for their canon characterization.) Close seconds are Bunnie and Sally, and I've gotta agree with Era, Zonic is pretty dang cool._**

 **Anyway, please let us know what you thought and if the cure makes sense. Hope you have a wonderful day and remember to find the positives!**


	59. Ready As I'll Ever Be

**Alright, let's be real, this is a buffer chapter. Which means it's a delay to try and buy us more time for the next two chapters. _(ALSO- first reviewer to understand the reference in the title gets a cookie and my utmost respect)_**

 **Yes,** _ **two**_ **chapters. Halo and I must type up two full chapters before we can update again, because if we don't, we will be burned at the stake by all of you. So in advance: YOU'RE WELCOME.**

 **Also, we have a little surprise for all y'all because my co-writer is a genius.** _ **Yes I am!**_ **Thank you, Halo, for figuring THAT out. Because I wanted to throw my computer at the wall.**

 **Comments, then on with the story:**

 **SharpDragonKlaw: Tails is one of the best. I kinda hate what SEGA has turned him into. I mean, can we get a playable Tails- IN THE ACTUAL PLOT LINE, PLEASE? I mean, Boom did it but… we don't talk about that game. Ever. (THE HECK, SEGA?)**

 **Avenger Guest: Which is now what I am calling you. (; Spider-man would be… Uh…. Dang, I don't know. Spidey is one of my favorites and I LOVE what the MCU has done with him [my sister, Cheese, says it would be Sticks which I definitely disagree with. Sticks would be Deadpool, duh. (or Gwenpool, whatever)]. Spidey would be… I want to make it Tails, but Tails is Tony so KRIFF, I DON'T KNOW. Maybe Manic? I mean, that would make sense, but he is Quicksilver so... (Ow, my brain…) Anyway, that sounds like a fun AU idea but I don't think I have time, unfortunately. And if Nack is Hawkeye, he needs a MAJOR personality revamp. But it does make sense.**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: I think you summed up that chapter perfectly. And Hallo! Haven't seen you in a while. How've you been?**

 **Megaman07: Aww…. Ray is now a cinnamon roll. I don't care what anyone else says. He is a cinnamon roll- I will fight you on this.**

 **ultimateCCC: I mean…. Dark Chaos Energy would also be enhanced by the Master Emerald so… it wouldn't do anything. Like, at all.**

 **MelGamingPlays: Slowly getting there? I keep forgetting that Halo and I are the only ones with the outline because KRIFF, Y'ALL ARE SO GOOD AT GUESSING WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. So slowly getting there… as in, "slowly" approaching the climax which is much closer than you think. Sonic in Sonic X is, I think, the best representation of him as a character. Like, the games do a semi-good job, but Sonic X? Perfection. And Shadow. I need more Shadow. (COME ON, SEGA. You are ruining the character!)**

 **AStoryTellerBook: Tails is a popular choice, which is kind of ironic since this chapter we are hanging out with him. As for that reference…. Halo?** _ **Sunset Boulevard. It's a CLASSIC, educate yourself.**_

 **tailsBOOM1992: I would expect nothing less from someone with "tails" in their username. XD And yeah, Tails is going to be wary around Sonia for the next… forever.**

 **StarlightSparks:**

 **NeckBreak: Amy is pretty cool when done correctly. I mean, love the hammer and all but… sometimes she can get on your nerves. Especially Sonic's nerves. XD**

 **sonic vs tails: Soon. Very soon.**

 **Autumn: Eh, it was fine. I got to be by myself which was kind of cool. And don't worry, internet can be a pain in the neck. Add another tally to Tails (I keep forgetting how many people like Tails! SEGA, make a good game with him and you'll get a bunch of money!)**

 **Detta: I enjoy writing the super tense scenes, then throwing in a bit of humor to get a laugh, but not enough that it destroys the tension. Always fun to write and read. So Halo typed the part with the whole "part of Dark will always be apart of Manic" and I didn't edit it very well so… explanation at end of chapter. Promise. ALL HAIL SHADOW. And completely agree. (SEGA QUIT MESSING UP MY CHILD).**

 **ShadAmy1Fan - Shylah McVey: Okay, first things first, I'm going to give you a virtual hug. *hugs tightly* I'm not going to say that life is going to be a happy or thrilling life, but do know you are not alone. I hope you are feeling a bit better than when you looked up 'Miles from Home'. Here is some cookies. *gives chocolate chip cookies* Thank you so much for all of your compliments. I am so glad you are enjoying this story. I want to respond to everything, but I think the update will be better than any compliment I can give. Thank you so much, your compliments made my day!**

 **Okay, I need to just put this out here: When you are done reading this chapter, go listen to "Ready As I'll Ever Be" from Tangled: Before Ever After. Seriously, it just… makes me happy.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy!**

XXX

Tails' POV:

Well. That happened.

Moving onto more important matters, Hope and I had begun to mass produce the cure. And believe me, we made a _lot_ of it- Shadow had to come in twice more in the next three days to 'donate' his blood, and ended up finishing three more crossword puzzles in that time (more correctly, Manic finished them. He was under a forty-eight hour observation in the lab with me and Shadow didn't know what 'pop culture' even entailed, let alone what consisted of it).

While Hope and I worked, I ordered Knuckles to herd everyone into the various laboratories to be tested for infection. In all honesty, I should have done it a lot sooner but as it had been 'incurable', I had been too much of a chicken to see the results. All Overlanders came back negative, to no one's surprise. I mean, it's not like they're even capable of possessing Chaotic abilities, so it was probably a bit redundant to test them at all, but better safe than sorry.

Amy and Shadow were both lower than five percent (Shadow was .5% and it dropped to zero by the end of the hour with his own immune system). I had about six percent; Rouge was around 1.7% infected. All of us took less than an eighth of a shot and were fine by the end of the day. Knuckles came back as 5.4%, much to his frustration (" _I cut myself off from the Chaos field to_ not _get infected!"_ ).

Sonia's test came back as 17.6%. Manic just about had a heart attack when I told him (as did I when I realized that Sonia might have actually been willing to kill me when she found me testing the serum on Manic. Yeah, I had Hope administer the cure to her.) At least the percentage explained why she had been so… erratic the past few days.

Sonia took the news rather well.

" _I was going Dark?"_

Manic shrugged, "Probably. Give it another week and you probably would've started to hear the voice. Oh, geez, I wonder what yours would have sounded like."

"I was going _DARK_?"

While Hope and I were holed up in a lab all day, Shadow was apparently getting down to business. I only attended one of the training sessions and it was at his own insistence for "my own good", apparently.

Rouge acted as his training partner when everyone worked on close physical combat. He would demonstrate the correct technique, then attack Rouge. When Shadow worked with specific individuals, she would practice on a punching bag and the gym course.

Knuckles refused any of Shadow's "training" but the two sparred everyday. Instead, he helped Sonia with her combat skills. Gag me. If they weren't training then they were shamelessly flirting. And you wonder why I didn't want to go to the stupid training classes.

When he wasn't busy with his _girlfriend_ , Knuckles would drag me out of the lab at least once a day and have a few practice rounds with me. We would do that for an hour and then I would head off to practice in the shooting range. Over the past year, I had gotten pretty good with a gun, much to Manic's horror (seriously, what was his deal with guns?).

One time Sonia and I had a contest with moving targets and distance shots. She won. And yet she still spent most of her time in the range, unless Shadow or Knuckles wanted to work on her combat skills or she felt up to some gymnastics. Through Manic, I also found out that Shadow was helping Sonia develop some mental shielding abilities and better control of her visions. Most of it involved meditation of some sort, but I wasn't interested enough to ask her about it.

Amy was trying to get more creative with her hammer. She had started pulling different sizes out of thin air and then throwing them at targets. I didn't know what a hammer could do against Dark, but I wasn't about to underestimate Amy, especially since she was working with Shadow and Knuckles on her physical combat.

Manic was by far the most interesting to watch. After he had been officially cleared by the General and myself, Manic had attacked the training mat with such a vigor we had to put a time limit on his training sessions to keep him from over exerting himself. His sessions consisted of combat sparring and teaching himself Krav Maga and Jujutsu off the internet, some extreme gear practice, and knife fighting. Seriously, Manic with a knife was one of the coolest things to watch. He threw them at targets from different positions, practiced different techniques, and sometimes would fight Shadow in mock combat. Shadow vs. Manic in knife skills was like watching an action movie fight scene. If I ever had any free time, I'd go down and watch their matches- along with half of the off-duty guards. Shadow won most of the time, but Manic was no amateur.

Of course, the one time I went to the team training session, Shadow attempted to get Manic to branch out his skills. And by that, he meant his Chaotic abilities.

"You want me to _what?"_

Shadow didn't seem fazed by the pure expression of horror on Manic's face. "When Dark took you over, he mentally attacked both Miles and Sonia, effectively incapacitating them for short periods of times. Dark is limited by the body he possesses, which means that ability is something you can do as well."

The remaining blood drained out of Manic's face, "Aw, _heck_ _ **no!"**_

"Manic-"

"Nope! Not happening, Shads! I ain't 'perfecting' anything! And nothing you say is gonna change my mind, nuh-uh!"

Well, something must have changed his mind, because the following day, Shadow began to work with Manic on his mental abilities. I, uh… I made sure to steer clear of that lesson. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Manic learning new skills and all, but I'd honestly rather not be there to see his progress.

In the meantime, Hope and I had successfully synthesized enough of the cure to heal… well, a small army. Yeah, we probably went a little overboard, but we weren't about to take any chances, and hey, I didn't hear anyone complaining.

After we ran out of blood and Shadow had adamantly refused , we started to put together a plan to save Sonic- or at least I did.

And then we waited. For what exactly, none of us were one hundred percent sure.

It turned into a two week 'vacation' that consisted of training and resting. After the cure had been finished and produced, Amy dragged me to bed where I slept for over thirty-six hours. If I was being honest, it was really nice- unless a nightmare decided to ruin my perfectly good sleep.

Most nightmares consisted of Dark (aka Sonic) chasing me through an electric storm. Sometimes Dark Manic was with him and on one occasion Sonia (can I just say she was… terrifying. I really did not need that image in my head. Ever).

And of course the day after that 'pleasant' experience was the day GUN patrol picked up a large surge of Chaos energy in- surprise, surprise- Chaos Valley.

"I _refuse_ to go back to that place!" Manic growled.

I shrugged, "That's nice. Pack your bags."

"Did… did you not hear me?"

Everyone chose to ignore him and turned their attention to General Towers. He stood at the front of the all too familiar briefing room, with everyone in their respective spots- except Manic, who was pacing the back wall, nervously tapping his drumsticks on anything in reach (has he always had those?).

"We have visual confirmation that Dark is in the center of the valley. He appears to have set up a camp off a lakeside waterfall."

"Great…" Sonia groaned, "He probably found the cave where Manic and I found the black emerald."

Everyone stiffened. Sonia frowned, "We told you about the cave."

"Yeah, but you didn't say _where_ it was." Rouge said. "Then again, General Oversight, why didn't you just _ask_ them?"

"If you want to keep your job, Agent Rouge, I suggest you hold your tongue."

"Yes, sir."

"Wow… you people are _stupid_." I said. The General glared at me. I shrugged, "What? I don't work for you. I can speak my mind."

"You're a consultant. I can fire you at anytime."

"Yeah, but you won't." I leaned back in my chair, "Thing is, I'm the only thirteen-year-old on the planet who can build an atomic bomb with his hands tied behind his back. Can you do that, General Towers?" I asked cheerfully, crossing my arms. "Didn't think so. Now please sit down sir, the grown ups are talking."

Knuckles had been drinking a glass of water at the time and choked, coughing and spitting in horror. The General's right eye twitched slightly.

Amy tightened her hands around the edge of table, pursing her lips. I shrank back slightly as she opened her mouth to speak, her voice dangerously low, "Okay… Miles, if you ever speak to the General like that again, I will personally drag you out back and pound some manners into your thick skull. _Got it?"_

I nodded, deciding that it would probably be a wise decision to shut up.

The General cleared his throat, "It doesn't matter whose fault it is, just be grateful we know where Dark is. I have received several plans and operations from my top agents on how to proceed, with Shadow, Knuckles, and Tails acting as consultants. We have determined the best course of action. Shadow…" He nodded at said hedgehog who took that as his cue.

Shadow stood, placing his hands on the table and leaning forward slightly. "Miles has roughly determined the amount of the cure we need to inject into Sonic in order to destroy Dark, which is ten full shots at twenty milliliters each."

I bit my lip and tried to reassure myself I had done the math correctly. I had checked at least two dozen times, repeated calculations and triple checked the answer with my data from Manic. It wasn't a lot on the surface, a little less then a cup of liquid, but it was as much as I was willing to inject into Sonic at the risk of overwhelming his system, and… yeah. Of course, I had left that out of my written report. There was _no way_ I was gonna let the general veto my plans now.

Shadow continued. "Each of you will receive a total of five full doses: two full shots and six half shots. The half shots have been made especially to fit into a gun Miles designed for this purpose. The full shots must be manually injected."

Manic raised a timid hand, "By manually, you mean we have _give_ it to Dark? Like, touch him?"

Shadow nodded once. "Before we make contact, everyone will be injected with five milliliters of the serum to combat any dark chaos energy we come in contact with- _no exceptions._ If the occasion arises, you can inject one of your full doses into your main blood stream to combat Dark if he attempts to possess or infect you."

Well, that was news for me. Guess I'd have to have them pack extra serum.

Amy raised her hand. "What if we don't have chaos energy in us? Do we still need the shot?"

"Yes." Shadow's tone left no room for argument. "We will be air dropped into the valley. Dark will know when we are there, so the goal is to move as quickly as possible. When you have a clear shot, you take it. Shots into main veins will ensure that the cure moves faster through his system. We estimate that when the cure has cleared about fifty percent of the infection, Sonic will be able to take back control of his body and mind."

"You _estimate?"_ asked Sonia, a twinge of uncertainty in her tone.

"Correction: We _hope._ "

Manic clenched his fists and glared at his hands. I didn't know what he was thinking about, but it didn't look like a happy memory.

My eyes snapped back to Shadow, who made eye contact with everyone. "In the event that we cannot move fast enough or the cure does not work- _if we do not have time to cure Sonic for whatever reason-_ you will all be equipped with a single ten milliliter shot of the poison Knuckles was able to put together from his father's notes. Miles's design for the gun will accommodate the poison's container." Shadow's voice grew hard and tense. " _Use it._ His death will be almost instant and near painless. If we don't take Dark out now, I guarantee, _we will not have another chance._ "

He straightened up. "Everyone will be in divided into teams. Each team will attack together to keep Dark off balance. Knuckles, Amy, and Miles are Team Beta. Manic and Sonia: Delta. Rouge and I are team Alpha. Stay with your teammates at all times. In the event that Dark… _overpowers_ us, Hope, OMEGA, General Towers and Cream are the last line of defense at GUN."

I blinked. If Shadow was calling in Cream… things were more desperate than I'd anticipated. I swallowed down the panic rising up in my chest and tried to keep my face as passive as possible.

General Towers stepped up again, "If there aren't any questions, then let's move. You're equipment is ready and waiting in your respective transports."

No one said a word as we left the room and headed to the runway outside. _The Tornado_ was already waiting with three small briefcases; I handed one to Amy and Knuckles before opening mine and pulling out the weapon lodged inside. The gun was based off a simple tranquilizer design, but instead of a sedative, we were going to be injecting Sonic with Shadow's diluted blood. That thought alone made me want to puke.

Knuckles placed his hand on my shoulder, "Tails… you know it isn't him. Not _really_ him."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to nod. "I know," I lied. I pulled the gun out, loaded it with a syringe, then strapped it to my leg. "Let's go."

Shadow, Rouge, Sonia, and Manic climbed into a helicopter and strapped in. Shadow and Sonia sat in the front, with Sonia behind the stick (who knew she could fly?). Manic waved out the door and shot me a thumbs up, a wide, goofy grin stretching across his face. "Don't sweat it, dude- we got this!"

I forced a smile and returned his gesture before he slid the door shut and the helicopter blades began to turn.

I sighed, climbing into the cockpit of _The Tornado_ and firing up the engines, trying to shake the feeling that that was the last time I was going to see Manic smile.

* * *

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

 _ **DARK**_

* * *

I had felt it when the second vessel had severed itself from my influence. How could I not have? I hadn't chosen it because of its subtlety.

Being trapped in these… _mortal_ bodies was infuriating enough on its own without them attempting to resist my influence. It was pathetic, really. But they'd be free of me soon enough.

It was rather odd, returning to the place that had once been my prison. I knew better than to re-enter the cave, but the sheer amount of chaotic energy it provided was too tempting to resist. If I absorbed it, perhaps my time in the blue one would be shortened; his energy was running too low for me to absorb any longer without destroying the vessel. The mere thought of being strong enough to rid myself of this insufferable flesh bag was more than enough motivation to stick to the plan.

I picked up the meat of a squirrel I had skinned, glaring at it with distaste; it was nauseating, no, _degrading_ how mortals had to eat to survive. At least in the emerald I was free from this disgusting practice. And don't even get me _started_ on this vessel's insistence on _sleep._

Hesitantly, I raised the rancid meat to my lips and began to chew- _how could mortals possibly stand this-_ and gulped it down, shuddering as the sludge slid down my throat. _Ugh._

I closed my eyes, trying to tap back into the second vessel's mind, but as usual, came up with nothing. _How_ had the boy been able to sever the connection? I had been so close to breaking him. If only I'd had more time… my influence had already left his mind poorly guarded. I had already been able to manipulate the boy's Chaotic abilities. At that point, any resistance should've been stamped out in a heartbeat. His strength was _gone,_ I had personally made sure of that.

A lethargic feeling began to rise up in my chest; I couldn't tell if it was due to this vessel's need for sleep or my own hunger for Chaos energy. I _needed_ the second's energy supply; forget my mortal body starving, I needed to keep my essence alive.

My eyes darted to the entrance of the cave; maybe… just this once…

I shook my head- no. Too risky. Even with a mortal body, I couldn't take the chance of being trapped within its walls for another millenium. And if this body died, the only host form I had left was in the emerald. Never again.

But I was running out of options; I needed more energy. I could potentially take possession of another mortal, but unless they had an incredible storage of Chaotic energy within them, exerting myself simply be worth it. The girl was showing some promise… I had managed to plant in her a small percentage of my consciousness before she too had broken away.

No, the body that I had _really_ been looking forward to belonged to the Ultimate Lifeform- what better vessel than one who could decimate entire cities with hardly a snap of its fingers? It was strong, and practically oozing with Chaotic energy, and as far as I could tell, its mortal needs of eating and sleeping were minimal. It would've been _perfect._

But it seems I miscalculated. The Ultimate Lifeform was too strong for me to penetrate. I should've foreseen this outcome, but I was too hasty, spread myself too thin and wasted too much energy… a mistake I will not make again.

I felt my eyelids begin to grow heavy and had to force myself to remain upright; if I exerted myself any longer without providing myself with some sustenance, the vessel's host mind might find it in itself to retaliate, even if it was weakened. There was no other alternative. I needed to feed.

I reached over to the small bag of supplies I had brought along with me. Any mortal food I had had was long since eaten, and all that was left in the bag was a small blanket _(curse this unbearably fragile flesh prison)_ and five pulsing, glowing gems, all brightly colored except one. I smiled to myself, selecting the red one. Even as I did nothing with it, I could feel its power throbbing in my palm.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, clearing my mind of all thought and allowing myself to be immersed in the power of the emerald. Immediately, I felt a surge of strength force its way through my senses, filling me with the exhilarating energy I'd been craving. It was several long minutes before my hunger was satisfied, and even then, I was tempted to consume more; a few extra moments wouldn't hurt…

I had no idea how long I held onto that emerald, only that when I finally let it go, any color or glow it had once had had drained to a dull gray. I felt like kicking myself; I'd taken too much. The mortals would be monitoring the Chaos field, they'd be sure to notice and track my signature… if they could track me, then that would mean they'd be after me. Those wretched, meddling vermin were going to ruin _everything-_

Wait… no. This may be just what I needed.

Those mortals were so pathetically predictable, they most likely _would_ lead an attack to my location. With all of them trapped in one place, it would be almost too easy to wipe them all out in one fell swoop. ...Yes, this was _perfect._

I laughed to myself; yes, little mortals, come face me. Come face the wrath of a God when he has no further need to hold back.

* * *

 **XXXXXXX**

* * *

 **Alright, so a little explanation because some people are confused: When we say Dark will always be a part of Manic, we don't mean LITERAL DARK. You know how when you get sick with, say the flu. You will (hopefully) get better-** _ **but the flu is still inside of you.**_

 **Fun fact: every illness you have ever had never fully left your body. It's still in you, but it's just… inactive. THAT is what we mean by "will always be a part of him". It can't (and won't) do much. So… yeah.**

 **Also, thank Halo for Dark's POV. She figured it out.** _ **At the last minute, which is why we rejected the idea in our previous responses.**_

 **Yes, she is the best.** _ **Don't you forget it.**_

 **Review Question: Is Sonic/Maurice… well, what has he been up too? Like, do you think he is chilling with a soda and watching old sports games in his head, or do you think he might be kinda sorta brain dead, so to speak?**

 **To be honest, I am just curious what y'all think. Like, I haven't thought much about it, but if I was possessed by an evil demon and trapped inside my own head… well, I wouldn't want to watch what was going on outside, personally.**

 **No, I'd probably just pull up old memories and just watch them (specifically all the movies and TV episodes I have seen. Netflix in your brain, go figure). Maybe that should be the question- If you were possessed by some crazy demon, what would you do? (Well, other then try and… oh, I don't know, TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR BODY.)**

 **Review, please!**


	60. Pre-Climax Author's Note

**So… hi.**

 **Before you panic, this isn't a discontinuation note or even a hiatus status update (at least not an official o** **ne).** **This month is November-**

 _ **Brilliant deduction, Holmes, however do you do it?**_

 **-which means NANOWRIMO! Which I am trying to do (and currently failing at) for the first time ever. Also, the next chapter is Manic's POV, which is something Halo has to go through and edit completely. Add that to the fact that we are doing a two-chapter update, both of which are going to be** _ **very**_ **long (like 7,000-9,000 words** _ **each**_ **), I have NANO, plus school, plus my job, and Halo is also in school** _ **and**_ **is busy drawing at a semi-professional level, and-**

 **Simply put, the next update will most likely be in the middle or end of December.** _ **Merry Christmas.**_ **(And Happy Holidays!)**

 **BUT... because we are nice people, here is a little sneak peek of the next chapter!**

XXX

Manic's POV:

Riding in the helicopter was the coolest thing about that day.

Five minutes out from our destination, I closed my eyes and tried to focus- which was even harder than usual. Even though the ride there was mostly silent, everyone's emotions were churning to the point where I could hardly hear myself think.

Sonia was flying the helicopter (for the first time in her life, I might add. Why couldn't I have gotten her abilities?), but she was watching the sunset. And let me tell ya, she wasn't admiring the beauty of it. It was more, 'The sun is setting on the day- wonder if it's setting on our lives'. Gee, thanks sis. Now is _definitely_ the time for depressing poetry.

And Shadow- well, I'm not going to say. Let's just leave it at he wasn't much better than Sonia.

The other three were a distance away, but I had gotten a good read before we took off. Knuckles thought we were all going to die. There was no other way of saying it.

Out of everyone on this mission, Amy was the only one who wasn't allowing any negative thoughts into her head- she and Rin were instead arguing battle tactics. Deep down inside, I'm sure there were doubts, but if there were, she wasn't spending much time dwelling on them. I could respect that.

It was Tails that I was worried about; I wasn't getting _any_ signal from him. It was like he had flipped the off switch in his head- no matter how close I got to him or how hard I focused, I wasn't getting much else besides a stray thought. This could mean one of two things. One: he was seriously depressed and his brain had completely shut down, or two: he was hiding something. Specifically from me.

I didn't like either option.

Off in the corner, Rouge was murmuring something under her breath that I couldn't quite catch. Her expression remained neutral, but her hands were shaking hard and her skin had turned an ashy gray. It didn't take a mind reader to tell that she was just as scared as I was. I'd… never seen her like this. She'd always been so calm and collected; a dangerous mission wouldn't spook her.

Unless this particular mission led to certain death.

Out of instinct- or maybe just impulse- I reached over and squeezed her hand lightly, resting my palm overtop her knuckles. Almost immediately, a tsunami of information rushed into my head, along with a rapid string of words in a language I didn't recognize. I listened curiously, but couldn't understand a word.

" _Ak ma počujete, prosím odpustite mi, prosím, nie som pripravený zomrieť ... Mamička, Ocko, Je mi to veľmi ľúto, ospravedlňujem sa … Ach, to je nezmysel. Nemôžeš ma počuť. Si mŕtvy-_ _ **Svätý Chaos**_ _\- what is he- he's touching my hand. Sweet Chaos_ , _he's touching my hand-"_

I recoiled back, feeling my face grow hot. Geez, what was I thinking? _Of course_ she'd be weirded out if I tried to hold her hand. _Gaaah,_ stupid, stupid, _stupid-_

I almost flinched when I felt a soft hand once again grip mine; Rouge's turquoise eyes were alive with a nervous energy that I'd only ever seen in the mirror.

Rouge was smart. This wasn't her first time taking on a dangerous mission, but she knew what Dark was capable of- _I_ knew what Dark of capable of. Even with all of us ganging up on him, we both knew we only stood a fraction of a chance- not even to win, but to _survive_.

I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the thought; I couldn't think about that. Not now. Besides… I was too distracted by how nice her hand felt, and how well it fit in mine.

"One minute until contact." Shadow barked over the radio. I stiffened; come on, Maniac, get psyched, get _psyched..._

Sonia glanced over from her seat, "What do I do with the chopper?"

Shadow held up a remote. "As soon as we jump, we detonate it. There is no time for us to land. Miles will lay cover fire on the ground to draw out Dark, then we strike as they land." Shadow stood up in his seat, coming around. "Thirty seconds."

I raised an eyebrow, "Probably a stupid question, but how exactly are we gonna get back?"

"GUN troops will pick us up."

Okay, that isn't ominous at all. I turn around and only then realize something. "Wait, where are the parachutes?"

Rouge smirked at me, "What parachutes?"

"Woah, woah, woah, _hold up-"_ I said, letting go of her hand. "Dunno if you've noticed, Angel, but you're the only one here who's got wings! What about the rest of us?"

"Twenty seconds."

Sonia fiddled around with the controls for a moment before climbing out of her seat. "Relax, brother dear. We'll be fine."

"Sonia, we're going to jump out of a _kriffing_ helicopter with no chute! I mean, there's no way that any of us could survive that. ...right?"

"We have it covered."

"Um, _how?"_

"Ten seconds." Shadow grabbed the door handle and slid it open, letting the full sound of the propellers hit my ears and the wind snap at my face. I glanced down and saw _The Tornado_ already diving down close to the ground, prepping for its attack. I barely made out the pink and red blobs on the wings and the yellow one in the cockpit.

Sonia grabbed my hand and gave me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry!" she shouted, hardly audible over the wind.

Shadow nodded to Rouge. "Go!"

The bat needed no further invitation as she dove out of the plane. I heard Shadow yell, "Stay close!" before he jumped too. I didn't even have time to protest as Sonia pushed me out and followed shortly behind.

XXX

 **Again, thanks so much for your patience and we'll see you soon!**


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